


Living on the Edge

by Lenni51074



Series: Book/Movie Rewrites [4]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 80s/90s Navy AU, Also a bit of smut but it's only in one chapter, Angst, Bucky has his work cut out with you, But he likes it that way, F/M, Female fighter pilots are a thing in this fic, HYDRA is the Russians, I feel the need, Nick Fury just needs one day where things don't turn to crap, Phil Coulson does not put up with any of Bucky's shit, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the Navy, So much angst, The need for speed, This is all Navy/fighter pilot hotshot stuff, You don't fall for Bucky Barnes's charm, You don't make things easy for him, but there is also angst, navy AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26302588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lenni51074/pseuds/Lenni51074
Summary: Daring pilot James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes and his best friend, co-pilot Steve Rogers, face the danger and excitement which awaits every pilot when they are accepted into S.H.I.E.L.D’s prestigious fighter weapons school. Bucky must overcome the spectre of his father’s legacy, bitter rivalries, and his own ego in order to succeed and become accepted as a member of the elite team known as the Avengers.But what happens when he meets his match in a smart-talking, no-nonsense flight instructor who not only ignites his temper but makes his heart race faster than an enemy target?Navy AU. In this fic, there are female fighter pilots; Fury just needs one day where things don’t turn to absolute crap; and Coulson absolutely does not put up with any of Bucky’s shit.An Avengers-based version of “Top Gun”.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Reader
Series: Book/Movie Rewrites [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546471
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Holding On Too Tight

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own “Top Gun”, any of the characters upon which this work is based, or any of the Marvel characters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky Barnes has a dream to join S.H.I.E.L.D’s elite fighter pilot training program. After a near-disastrous close call with an enemy jet, he might just get his chance.

_Somewhere over the Indian Ocean…_

The S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier _Marvel_ cruised through its designated patrol area of the Indian Ocean. The seas were calm, the sky was bright and clear, and routine flight drills were proceeding as expected. It was another day at the office, really.

Which, naturally, meant that Bucky was bored out of his skull. He could really use some action right about now. But they were in a quiet part of the world, no HYDRA activity making itself known, and so for now it was drill after boring fucking drill. Take off, land. Take off, land. Over and over again. He could do this shit in his sleep.

Lieutenant James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes – call-sign ‘Winter Soldier’ – was one of the most talented pilots of his generation. Bright, fearless, with an instinct that was second to none, he pulled off manoeuvres that other pilots only dreamed about. This made him a bit of a cult hero to his fellow pilots, and a nightmare for the Commander of the _Marvel,_ Nick Fury. Fury viewed him as a renegade, a hothead, who was one day going to end up as infamous as his late father if his luck ran out. But Barnes had clearly been born under a lucky star. To date, he had managed to avoid his father’s fate, and continued to live to see another day.

Much to the frustration of the Commander.

**************************************

Commander Fury entered the control room, hoping to hear that nothing interesting was happening. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side today.

“Ghost Rider, this is Strike,” the radar tech, Cameron Klein, said. “We have unknown aircraft. Inbound Mustang. Your vector zero-nine-zero for bogey.”

Fury frowned briefly. No other fleets were supposed to be in this area. He stomped over to Klein. “Who’s up there?”

Klein looked at his notes. “Iron Man and War Machine, as well as the Winter Soldier and Captain America.”

“Fucking fantastic,” muttered Fury sarcastically. “Barnes and Rogers. Just my luck.”

He chomped irritably on his cigar. Health and safety regulations meant that he couldn’t light the damn thing anywhere on the ship, but goddammit, at least they hadn’t forbid him from sticking one in his mouth unlit. Goddamn Barnes was going to give him a heart attack one of these days, mark his words.

At least Tony Stark, aka ‘Iron Man’, was up there. Fury had every confidence that Stark would warn off the intruders before anything too drastic happened.

Bucky heard Klein’s warning, and called back to his co-pilot. “Talk to me, Cap.”

Steve Rogers – call-sign ‘Captain America’, for his blond good looks, old-fashioned manners and wholesome apple pie demeanour - glanced at his instrument panel, the radar giving him warning of the approaching aircraft. “Roger, I got ‘em. Contact at twenty left, thirty miles, nine-hundred knots closure.”

Bucky flicked his eyes to the other Quinjet. “You hear all that, Iron Man?”

Tony’s voice came over the comms, confident as ever. “Roger. Rhodey, you got him?”

James Rhodes, Tony’s best friend and co-pilot, confirmed. “Roger, I’ve got radar contact.”

“I’ll get a visual ID, Iron Man, then you hook ‘em,” Bucky said.

“Copy that, Frosty.” Tony was completely incapable of using anybody’s correct call-signs, instead making up his own nicknames for the other pilots in his squadron. It was a testament to how much they all respected him that none of them cared that he gave them different monikers.

Tony and Bucky turned their Quinjets in the direction of the approaching aircraft. Hopefully it was nothing, but you could never be too careful. Not with all the chaos that HYDRA had been creating around the world recently.

Steve contacted the _Marvel._ “Mustang, Mustang, this is Ghost Rider Two-Zero-Three. I’ve got an inbound bogey heading two-seven-zero at ten miles. Nine hundred knots closure.”

Bruce Banner, one of the most experienced radar technicians that S.H.I.E.L.D. had, replied. “Ghost Rider, take Angels ten left three-zero.”

Fury turned to Bruce. “Are we supposed to have visitors today?”

Bruce shook his head. “Negative, Sir.”

Fury’s frown deepened. His gut told him something was about to go down. He just hoped Barnes and Rogers didn’t fuck it up.

Tony looked out the cockpit, trying to spot the bogey. “Rhodey, see if he’s a single.”

“Roger,” said his co-pilot. War Machine checked the radar, seeing only a single blip. He called the other jet. “Cap, you see a trailer?”

“Negative, War Machine,” Steve replied, also seeing only one bogey on his radar. “Looks like he’s a single.”

Bucky couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. “Iron Man, I’m gonna go head-to-head with this guy, see what’s up.”

“Take it easy, Frosty. I don’t like this shit,” Tony snapped, his gut also screaming that they were missing something. “I’m gonna break high and right, see if he’s really alone.”

He did exactly that, leaving Bucky flying towards the unknown intruder. Steve glanced at the radar. “We got a thousand-knots closure, Buck. He’s comin’ right at us.”

“All right, buddy. What’s on your mind?” Bucky curled his fingers around the throttle, ready to take action if necessary. His eyes widened in shock as he got a visual on what was approaching. “Shit! There’s two of ‘em!”

Steve craned his neck as the HYDRA jets flew past. “HYDRA MiG’s! No one’s been this close to ‘em before!”

Fury heard what was transpiring in the skies above with disbelief. “What the hell are HYDRA doing here? What’s their position?”

Klein studied the scanner. “Uh, two hundred fifty miles out, Sir.”

“Two-fifty? Get them the hell out of here!”

“Iron Man, you’ve got MiG One,” Bucky called. “I’m going after MiG Two.”

Tony looked up, squinting in the harsh light. “I’ve lost him in the sun.”

He looked up again, and suddenly saw the MiG above him. As soon as it was spotted, the MiG dropped away. “Shit! What’s he doing? You got him, Rhodey?”

Rhodey turned to spot the enemy, and his stomach dropped when he saw it circling behind them at an alarming rate. “He’s coming round! He’s coming round on our tail!”

Tony dodged and swooped, but no matter what move he pulled, the MiG was close behind, almost as if the pilot could read his thoughts. “Goddammit! This bogey’s all over me! I can’t shake him!”

On the helicarrier, Fury tapped Klein’s shoulder. “What’s their range?”

“Two hundred miles, Sir.”

Fury closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, before turning to Bruce. “If they break a hundred and fifty miles, launch this carrier into the sky and take ‘em down.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Bruce confirmed.

Steve spotted the second MiG. “There he is, Buck! On our right.”

“I’m going for missile lock.” Bucky flicked the switch, activating the missiles. “Let’s see if we can scare this guy off.”

The instrument panel beeped as he brought the Quinjet around, until the MiG was in the centre of the target. The target flashed red as the signal beeped. “I’ve got a lock! Bingo!”

Before Bucky could fire, the MiG backed off, heading in the opposite direction. Behind him, Steve whooped. “We got him, Buck. He’s buggin’ out and goin’ home.”

Bucky contacted the helicarrier. “Mustang, this is Winter Soldier. MiG Two is headed home.”

Fury nodded with satisfaction, before addressing Klein again. “What’s their position now?”

“A hundred and eighty miles bearing zero-one-zero.”

Rhodey heard the beeping and spoke frantically. “Tony, he’s got missile lock on us! You’ve got to get away from this guy.”

“What the hell is this shit? Why the fuck is he engaging me?” Tony panicked. He swerved, turning the Quinjet this way and that, but he couldn’t shake the other jet. “Mustang, this is Ghost Rider One-One-Seven. This bogey is all over me. Do I have permission to fire?”

“Do not fire until fired upon!” barked Fury.

Bucky looked down and saw Tony, trailed closely by the HYDRA jet. “There they are, Steve. They’re right below us.”

“The MiG’s in perfect firing position,” noted Steve. “He’s right on Iron Man’s tail.”

Bucky shook his head. “No way, Stevie. He’d have fired by now if he was serious. He’s just tryin’ to piss us off.”

“Frosty, get the hell down here and get this asshole off me!” Tony’s voice was shrill.

“Easy, Iron Man,” Bucky assured his team-mate. “Bring him back hard right, then let me engage. I’m on my way.”

Tony banked hard right; as expected, the MiG immediately followed, and Bucky made his move. He swooped down on the enemy fighter, hot on his heels. He swore internally as the MiG stayed close enough to Tony that he couldn’t get a clear shot.

“I can’t shoot this son of a bitch. Let’s see if we can have a little fun with him instead.”

Without warning, he inverted the Quinjet, flying upside down above the MiG. Steve tried not to bring up his lunch. “Is this your idea of fun, Buck?”

Bucky grinned as he gave the stunned HYDRA pilot the finger. His grin widened as the other jet fell away, joining the other MiG as they retreated. “Iron Man, your tail is clear. MiG One has bugged out. I think we’ve had enough fun for one day. I’m getting’ low on fuel, so I’m gonna head back. You’d be wise to do the same. See you on deck.”

He turned his jet back towards the helicarrier, hoping to get out of his flight suit and into the showers. It would be good to wash this day off him.

Tony, however, didn’t hear him. He was sweating profusely, his breath coming in heaving gasps, and there was a ringing in his ears. He barely registered anything around him. All he could see was the MiG on his tail, and all he could hear was the sound of the missile lock.

War Machine tapped the fuel gauge. “We’re getting low on juice, Tony. We need to get out of here.”

There was no response, and Rhodey frowned. “Tony? We’re on fumes here, dude. We’ve got to head home.”

Tony ripped his breathing apparatus from his face, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. He looked at the instrument panel, his eyes landing on the photo of his wife Pepper, holding their six-month old daughter, Morgan. God, he’d never even met the kid yet and he loved her more than life itself. He barely registered the words coming from Rhodey’s mouth.

Fury listened to Rhodey’s continued pleas for Tony to land the Quinjet. He growled at Klein, “Get him back on deck ASAP. He’s got to be low on fuel.”

Bucky lowered the landing gear, even as he kept an ear on what was happening above. It wasn’t like Tony to freak out like this. Something was seriously wrong.

The control tower contacted him. “Winter Soldier, you are three-quarters of a mile. Call the ball.”

He spotted the landing strip below. “Roger. Winter Soldier has the ball.”

As he was about to land, he heard Rhodey’s increasingly frantic voice trying to convince Tony to land. “Steve, Iron Man’s in trouble.”

“Forget it, Buck,” Steve objected. “We’re getting low on gas. Let’s land this sucker.”

Bucky touched down, before immediately lifting the nose of the Quinjet and taking off again. “I’m comin’, Tony!”

“Goddammit, Barnes!” Fury swore as the renegade pilot headed back to the skies. “Tell him to land that plane now, dammit! That’s an order!”

Klein relayed the order, which Bucky steadfastly ignored.

“What the hell are you doin’, Buck? We don’t have the fuel for this,” Steve said in exasperation.

“I’m goin’ after Tony.” Bucky brought his jet in line with Tony’s, and contacted them. “Either of you boys seen an aircraft carrier around here?”

Rhodey glanced their way. “Barnes, we got a little problem here. That MiG really screwed him up. I don’t think he can make it back.”

“You’re okay, Iron Man,” Bucky assured the other pilot. “Just stay on my wing. I’ll take you all the way in. You copy?”

Tony screwed his eyes shut, before opening them again and staring at the photo of his wife and daughter. He needed to make it home to them. Confirming Bucky’s request, he followed the other plane back towards the helicarrier. His descent was shaky, his Quinjet seesawing from one side to the other as it flew ever lower.

“You’re a bit low there, Tony. Pull up a bit. Nice and steady.” Bucky gave a sigh of satisfaction when the other pilot levelled his jet. “That’s it. Just a walk in the park from here. You’re almost there.”

The Quinjet began pitching wildly again as it descended rapidly towards the helicarrier.

“We’re too low, Tony!” Rhodey yelled, trying to gain his pilot’s attention. “We’re too low! You gotta bring it up!”

At the last second, Tony pulled up, and landed the Quinjet rather heavily but otherwise unscathed.

All on deck heaved a sigh of relief, none more so than Nick Fury.

**************************************

Tony rapped sharply on the door of the Commander’s office. He heard the sharp order. “Come in!”

He stood to attention in front of his CO’s desk, refusing to look Fury in the eye. Fury looked up at him, a frown on his face. “Stark, you should be in the med bay. What’s on your mind?”

“My wife and kid, Sir. I almost orphaned her today, and I’ve never even seen her in person. Just in a picture.” Tony closed his eyes, a tear involuntarily escaping as he took a deep breath. “I don’t know what happened up there today, but I was so… scared.”

Fury waved away his concern. “We’ve seen this before, Tony. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Tony shook his head. “No, Sir. It was different this time. I’m holding on too tight. I’ve lost the edge.”

Fury stared in disbelief at the wings Tony threw onto the desk. The metal badge hit the desk with a _thunk_ , sounding far louder than it should have.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Tony whispered, before hurriedly exiting.

Bucky and Steve were waiting outside, sure they were about to be booted off the helicarrier. They stared after Tony, who brushed past them without a word.

“Tony?” Steve’s voice was full of concern. Bucky’s face reflected that concern ten-fold.

Tony gave a brief nod. “Thanks, Frosty.”

They watched as he walked away resolutely, before wincing as Commander Fury’s voice boomed. “Barnes! Rogers! Get your asses in here!”

Bucky looked at Steve. “What the hell is goin’ on?”

“I dunno,” the blond shrugged, before opening the door to Fury’s office.

“Shit,” Bucky whispered, then stepped inside, Steve close behind him. The two of them stood to attention.

Bucky tried not to flinch in front of the imposing figure before him. Even without the eyepatch, Fury was impressive. There were rumours aplenty about how he had lost his left eye – a cockpit fire; slashed by a broken bottle in a bar fight; and Bucky’s personal favourite, the result of an infection after a scratch from a cat who didn’t appreciate being smothered with affection.

“Barnes, you just did an incredibly brave thing.” Fury glared at them from behind his desk. “But what you should have done was land your plane. You don’t own that plane, the taxpayers of this country do! Your ego is writing cheques your body can’t cash. You’ve been busted; you lost your qualifications as section leader three times! Put in hack twice, _by me!_ A history of high-speed passes over five control towers and one Admiral’s daughter!”

Steve looked at Bucky, impressed. “Dot?”

Bucky nodded with a smirk.

Fury stood abruptly, stomping over to stand directly in front of Steve, who looked equal parts ashamed and amused. “Don’t laugh, Rogers! You’re lucky to even be here!”

“Thank you, Sir!” Steve said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Let’s cut the bullshit, Barnes,” Fury huffed. “Your family name isn’t exactly the best in S.H.I.E.L.D. You need to be doing it better and cleaner than your old man did. So just what exactly is it with you?”

Bucky stared straight ahead. “I just want to serve my country and be the best fighter pilot that S.H.I.E.L.D. has, Sir!”

“Cut the crap, Barnes. You’re a hell of an instinctive pilot; maybe _too_ good. I’d like to bust your ass back down to Ensign, but I can’t. I got a bigger problem here.” Fury pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing that he would wake up from this nightmare before he uttered the words he was about to say. “I need to send two members of this squadron to the Triskellion.”

The Triskellion was S.H.I.E.L.D.’s elite fighter weapons school, where the best of the best were trained in aerial combat. Only one percent of the top S.H.I.E.L.D. pilots ever made it there, and of those, nearly half dropped out before graduation. Bucky held his breath; it had been his dream to train at the Triskellion ever since he started flying.

Fury continued, as if in pain. “I still can’t believe I’m about to do this. I’m giving you your dream shot. I’m going to send you up against the best S.H.I.E.L.D. has to offer. I’m sending you two donkeys to see if you’ve got what it takes to be an Avenger. For five weeks, you’re going to be flying against the best fighter pilots this country has. You were number two; Iron Man was number one. Iron Man just quit, turned in his wings.”

Bucky tried to contain his smirk as Fury jabbed both he and Steve in the chest. “You clowns are number one now. But just remember this – if you screw up even one little bit, I’m going to have you flying a cargo plane of rubber ducks out of Hong Kong. You got that?”

“Yes, Sir!” Bucky and Steve said in unison.

“Dismissed.” Fury turned his back on them. Just as they were about to leave, he turned back, a smile cracking his normally serious features. “Gentlemen… good luck.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Bucky’s grin almost split his face in half.

He was going to live out his dream. Nothing was going to get in his way.


	2. Crash and Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky immediately gains a rival at training, and sets his sights on a seemingly impossible target.

Lieutenant Commander Carol Danvers – call-sign ‘Avenger’, and whose nickname had been assigned to the trophy after being the first female pilot to graduate from S.H.I.E.L.D’s top program – paused the training video. “When we were in Korea, our kill ratio was twelve-to-one; we shot down twelve enemy jets for every one of ours. When we were in Vietnam, that ratio fell to three-to-one. Our pilots became dependent upon missiles, lost some of their skills. The Triskellion was created to teach ACM – Air Combat Manoeuvering; otherwise known as dog-fighting. By the end of Vietnam, the ratio was back up to twelve-to-one.”

The lights came back up, causing the trainees to blink in the brightness. Danvers continued, her voice full of respect. “I’d like to introduce you to our Commanding Officer here at the Triskellion; the very first man to win the Avengers trophy. You will not find a finer fighter pilot anywhere in the world - Commander Phil Coulson, call-sign ‘Boss’.”

A gentle-looking man stepped forward, giving Carol a slight nod, before turning to face the recruits.

“You are the top one percent of all S.H.I.E.L.D. aviators. The elite, the best of the best.” Coulson stared impassively at the gathered recruits, his friendly face giving nothing away. “We’ll make you better. You’ll be flying at least two combat missions per day, attend classes in between, and receive evaluations of your performance.”

Coulson seemed to stare directly at Bucky. “In each combat sequence, you’ll be provided with a different challenge. Every encounter is going to be much more difficult. We’re going to teach you to fly the Quinjet right to the edge of the envelope, faster than you’ve ever flown before, and a helluva lot more dangerous.”

Bucky looked around the training room, sizing up the competition. His eyes rested on a red-haired female, the only one in the group. She returned his curious gaze with a steely one of her own, blowing a bubble with her gum to show her disdain. Bucky quirked an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Coulson.

Steve noticed Bucky’s inattention, and stage-whispered, “What are you doing?”

Bucky shrugged nonchalantly. “Just tryin’ to figure out which one of us is the best.”

Coulson’s voice seemingly answered his question. “In case any of you are wondering who the best is, their names are up on this plaque on the wall. The best driver and his reel from each class has his name on it. They have the option to return here as instructors. You think your name is going to be on that plaque?”

Bucky returned Coulson’s stare with a confident one of his own. “Yes, Sir.”

A few chuckles from the other recruits greeted this answer. Coulson’s face almost broke into a smile. “That’s pretty arrogant, considering the company you’re in.”

“Yes, Sir,” admitted Bucky.

“I like that in a pilot.” Coulson addressed the rest of the class. “Just remember, when it’s over out there, you’re all on the same team. This school is about combat. There are no points for second place. Second place is just the first loser. Dismissed.”

The recruits stood to leave. As Bucky passed the redhead, she spoke, her voice husky. “The plaque for the alternates is hanging in the ladies’ room.”

The other recruits burst out laughing. Bucky smirked at her. “Did ya polish it on your way in, Red?”

He walked away, ignoring the scowl the young woman directed at the back of his head.

**************************************

The music from the bar could be heard from the carpark. It was loud, modern pop, not at all the type of music that Steve enjoyed. He’d much prefer somewhere quieter, where he could actually hear himself think. The bar that the S.H.I.E.L.D recruits and personnel frequented was full of hangers-on; guys who wanted to hang out with them to seem cool, and girls who waited for one of the recruits to notice them so they could brag about it to their friends on social media. No, Steve would much rather be tucked up in bed with a glass of Scotch and a good book.

Bucky, however, wore a grin so wide it nearly split his face in half. He preened at all of the female attention directed at him. He was attractive and he knew it, with dark brown hair and ocean-blue eyes that had set many an impressionable young heart aflutter. Women did love a man in uniform, after all, and Bucky wore it better than most. “Now this is what I call a target-rich environment.”

Steve shook his head. “You live your life between your legs, Buck.”

“Just admit that you’re happy to live vicariously through me,” Bucky grinned. “Now that you’re an old married man, you have to behave otherwise Peggy will have your guts for garters.”

“Shut up, jerk,” Steve said. The two of them sidled up to the bar and ordered a couple of beers. Steve noticed someone standing at the other end. “You want to know who the best pilot here is? That’s her. Natasha Romanoff, call-sign ‘Black Widow’. She’s called that on account of how she lures you in, lulls you into a false sense of security. Wears you down until you get bored or frustrated and do somethin’ stupid, then bam! She goes in for the kill. She takes no prisoners and makes no mistakes.”

Bucky looked with interest at the redhead at the other end of the bar. She was attractive, curvaceous, with a sultry smirk on her face. She was talking to an obviously smitten patron of the bar, who just as obviously had no chance with her. It was clear she was simply toying with him.

A sandy-haired man with a friendly face came up to order a drink. Steve shoved him playfully. “Hey, Clint! I thought you wanted to be a pilot. What are you doin’ slummin’ it here?”

Clint ‘Hawkeye’ Barton snorted. “Cap, you’re such a dick. Who’s ass did you have to kiss to end up here?”

“Well, ya know, the list is long but distinguished,” Steve deadpanned.

“Yeah, and so is my johnson,” Clint retorted.

“So you’re flyin’ with Black Widow, huh?” continued Steve.

Clint poked him in the chest, a good-natured grin on his face. “That’s Madam Black Widow to you, pal. Show some respect.”

The subject of their conversation came up and stood next to Hawkeye. She looked Bucky over from head to toe, her expression unimpressed. Turning to Steve, her demeanour became much friendlier. Shaking his hand, she said, “Hey, Steve. How are you?”

“Great, Nat. Nat, this is Bucky Barnes, my best friend. Buck, Natasha Romanoff.”

The two of them shook hands. Natasha said, “Congratulations on getting to the Triskellion.”

“Thanks.”  
  
“I was sorry to hear about Iron Man,” she added, sounding sincere. “He was like a brother to me when we were in flight school. He was a good man.”

Bucky bristled. “He still is a good man.”  
  
“That’s what I said.” Natasha chewed nonchalantly on a beer nut. “So, do you need any help?”

“With what?” Bucky quirked an eyebrow.

“With figuring out who’s the best pilot.”

Bucky took a sip of his beer. “No, I’m pretty sure I can work that one out on my own.”

“I heard that about you. You like to work alone.” Natasha’s tone indicated that it wasn’t a good thing.

“You must have been born under a lucky star, Barnes,” Clint butted in. “First the MiG, and then you guys slide into Iron Man’s spot…”

Steve objected. “Hey, it was our spot, okay?”

“Your reputation precedes you, what with the MiG and everything,” Natasha said. “You guys are both lucky and notorious. We’ll see you later.”

Bucky watched with narrowed eyes as Black Widow and Hawkeye walked away. He drained the rest of his beer, hoping that he could find something to take his mind from the unpleasant exchange with the pilot who was undoubtedly going to be his main rival.

He found his distraction at the opposite end of the bar. Dressed in a sequined top, jeans and low-heeled boots, with minimal makeup and a no-fuss hairstyle, the woman was attired far more modestly than many of the other women who were so desperate for the attention of the pilots. And yet Bucky found her much more captivating than anyone else in the building. She was obviously comfortable in her own skin, and didn’t feel the need to dress to impress anyone but herself. Bucky couldn’t wait to find out if she was as demure as her outward appearance would suggest; he suspected she was, in fact, quite the opposite.

“All right, jerk,” Steve said, interrupting his daydream. “The bet is fifty bucks. You have to have carnal knowledge, of a _lady_ this time, on the premises.”

“On the premises?” Bucky smirked, taking a swig of his beer.

“Come on, Buck! A bet’s a bet.”

“I dunno, Steve. I mean, it just doesn’t seem fair,” Bucky sighed. “For you, I mean.”

Steve frowned. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Bucky clapped him on the shoulder and nodded towards the bar. “Because she wants it that way.”  
  
Steve followed his gaze, and his face fell. “No, Buck, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want it that way.”  
  
“Oh, she does.” Bucky sauntered off towards the pretty lady who had captured his attention. “She definitely wants it that way.”

“Man, I _hate_ it when she wants it that way.” Steve sighed, then got up and followed his friend.

**************************************

“Excuse me, ma’am.”

You felt a tap on your shoulder, and turned to find yourself staring into a pair of stunning blue-grey eyes. Before the owner of those eyes could speak again, a tall, handsome blond pushed the brunet out of the way with an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry, Ma’am. I’ll handle this.”

You shrugged and made to turn back to your drink but were stopped as the brunet who’d originally garnered your attention began singing – extremely off-key and without a hint of embarrassment – into the microphone which he held carelessly in one hand.

_You are my fire  
The one desire  
Believe when I say  
I want it that way_

You had no time to react before the blond sang the next verse.

_But we are two worlds apart  
Can't reach to your heart  
When you say  
That I want it that way_

The entire bar erupted into the chorus, raucous and out of tune and loving every second of it.

_Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a heartache  
Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a mistake  
Tell me why  
I never want to hear you say  
I want it that way_

Everyone in the bar cheered and clapped as the brunet grinned and took a bow, looking at you expectantly. With a laugh, you gestured to the empty chair beside you. “Sit down.”

He needed no further urging, eagerly hopping beside you.

“Wow, you have quite possibly ruined that song for me forever. I have never seen that approach before,” you laughed. “How long have you two been doing this act?”

He shrugged. “Dunno. Since, uh…”

“Puberty?” you guessed.

You were rewarded with a good-natured grin. “That obvious, huh?”

He was a handsome specimen. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a hint of five o’clock shadow and the sexiest smile you’d ever seen. He was gorgeous, and he very obviously knew it. Luckily, you’d known men like him all your life, and were generally immune to their charms.

Holding out a hand, you introduced yourself. “I’m Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Bucky Barnes,” he replied, shaking your hand with a firm grip.

“Bucky? What, did your parents not like you or something?”

He chuckled. “It’s a nickname. My full name is James Buchanan Barnes, but my friends and family call me Bucky. But most of the guys at the Triskellion call me the Winter Soldier. It’s my call-sign.”

You perked up at that piece of information. “You’re a pilot?”

“That’s right. A military aviator,” he corrected somewhat condescendingly.

“Ohhhhhh,” you replied. “Funny. I thought with your outfit you were actually one of the waitstaff.”

Bucky looked at his white S.H.I.E.L.D issue uniform, with his rank clearly on display on the shoulders, before he caught your teasing grin. Serves him right for trying to show-off to a lady who was clearly far more intelligent than his usual conquests. “You know, I’ve actually only done the serenading thing twice.”

“Really? How did you go?”

With a grimace, he admitted, “Crashed and burned on the first one. It wasn’t pretty.”

You tutted sympathetically. “And the second?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, but it’s looking good so far.” He smirked as he took a sip of his beer.

You gave an unladylike snort, before smiling graciously. “Well, Bucky, it’s been lovely talking to you, but my friend has just arrived so I’d better go join him.”

You waved to an older man, who sat at a table and smiled in your direction. As you stood to join him, you turned back to Bucky. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

“Fire away, doll.”

“Are you a good pilot?”

Bucky was surprised by the question, but answered candidly. “I can hold my own.”

A look of relief washed over your face. “Great! Then I don’t have to worry about you making your living as a singer.”

With a wink, you left Bucky sitting at the bar, staring after you as you joined your clearly unsuitable partner for dinner. His ego had never been so easily deflated before. He gestured to the bartender. “Yeah, I’m gonna need another beer to put these flames out.”

_Crashed and burned again, Bucky,_ he thought _. Real slick._

**************************************

You handed your colleague back the file that he had given you to review, offering your comments and recommendations as you did so. He nodded, before attracting the attention of one of the bar staff and ordering another round of drinks. Telling him that you needed to freshen up, you glanced at the bar as you stood, catching the eye of Bucky Barnes. You grinned at him as you headed towards the restroom.

You noticed Bucky sneak into the ladies room as you were reapplying your lipstick. “Been a long time between drinks, has it, sailor?”

“Too long,” he admitted, sidling up to you with a hopeful expression on his face.

You rested your hip against the counter and gave him a playful look. “So what do you want to do, just drop right onto the floor and go for it?”

If Bucky was taken aback by your brazen flirtation, he didn’t show it. He leaned heavily against the bench. “That’s pretty unhygienic. Who knows what you could catch off this floor? I actually had this counter in mind. Much more sturdy.”

“Hmmm, very thoughtful. Or maybe you could just take me up against the wall. You look pretty strong.”

He ran a finger up your arm. “Actually, doll, I came in here to save you from making a big mistake with that… _older_ man.”

You laughed. “So, what, I can move on to an even bigger one with a younger guy such as yourself?”

“Maybe.”

Ignoring the sultry smirk he gave you, you popped your lipstick back in your clutch. “I have to get up very early for work tomorrow, so if you’ll excuse me…”

You managed to evade Bucky’s grasp as you moved past him. He called out after you, “Wait, what do you do?”

Ignoring him, you headed past his friend at the bar. Without missing a beat, you told him, “Your friend was magnificent.”

A peanut dropped out of Steve’s mouth as he stared after you, jaw agape. He noticed Bucky strut up to him, hands on his belt and a self-satisfied expression on his face. Steve stared between your retreating back and Bucky, before shaking his head in denial. “Nah, man. No way.”

Bucky just grinned as he ordered another beer.


	3. So You're The One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is stunned to discover that the object of his affections will be playing a significant role in his training, and his rivalry with Black Widow grows fiercer.

The recruits were waiting in the hangar for their instructor, chatting amongst themselves. Bucky, however, was finding it difficult to focus. All he could think about was the gorgeous lady at the bar who had been seemingly immune to his charms.

_Y/N._ Even her name was lovely. Bucky sighed. He wondered if she’d be at the bar again tonight. Maybe he’d stop by for a quick drink, just to see.

Lieutenant Commander Danvers addressed the group, and Bucky quickly brought his attention back to the present. “As well as your flight training with the instructors here, you are also going to be trained and evaluated by several civilian specialists. The civilians are here because they are our very best source of information on enemy aircraft. One of the most qualified is our rep from Stark Industries. Her call-sign is ‘Charlie’. She has a PhD in Astrophysics, and she is also a civilian contractor so you do not salute her. But you’d better make sure you listen to her, because the Pentagon will be listening to her about your proficiency.”

Danvers nodded at the female who walked towards her. Bucky found himself appreciating the stocking-clad legs that walked past him, legs that led to a great ass which was hugged by a navy pencil skirt. Carol nodded once more. “The floor is all yours, Charlie.”

“Thank you.”

Bucky and Steve attempted to sink through the floor as you turned to face the recruits. Bucky in particular prayed to God that you wouldn’t notice him, although that would prove difficult given that he was sitting at the front of the group. He hastily put on his sunglasses in the vain hope that you wouldn’t recognise him.

Your voice was strong and clear as you spoke. “We’ll be dealing mostly with F-5’s and A-4’s as our MiG simulators, as they are the closest to HYDRA’s jets that we have in our fleet. Now, as most of you know, the F-5 doesn’t have the thrust-to-weight ratio that the MiG-28 has, and it doesn’t bleed energy below 300 knots like the MiG-28.”  
  
Bucky had to admit, you knew your stuff. Beautiful and intelligent. No wonder he’d struck out with you.

“However, the MiG-28 _does_ have a problem with its inverted flight tanks,” you continued. “It won’t do a negative-G pushover. The latest intelligence tells us that the most it will do is one negative…”

You frowned as you noticed two of the recruits in the front row murmuring to each other. With a pointed look at the two troublemakers from the bar the previous night, you said, “Excuse me, Lieutenant? Is there a problem?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Bucky replied politely. “The data on the MiG is inaccurate.”

“How is that, Lieutenant?” you scoffed.

The other pilots looked at him expectantly, and Bucky tried to ignore them as he focussed all of his attention on you. “Well, I just happened to see a MiG-28…”

_“We…”_ Steve interrupted in an indignant tone.

Bucky was immediately apologetic. “Sorry, Cap. _We_ happened to see a MiG-28 do a four-G negative dive.”

The two of them beamed at you. You pursed your lips as you asked, “And where exactly did you see this?”

“That’s classified,” Bucky replied promptly.

You blinked. “I’m sorry, it’s what?”  
  
Bucky shrugged. “It’s classified. I mean, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

“Lieutenant, I have top secret clearance,” you reminded him. “The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you do.”

“Well, Ma’am, it doesn’t look like it in this case, now does it?”

With anybody else, Bucky would most likely have been kicked straight out of the Triskellion. You, however, looked at him speculatively, as if he were a puzzle you were trying to figure out. “So, Lieutenant, where exactly were you?”

“Well, _we…_ ” A quick glance at Steve, who smiled his appreciation that Bucky remembered to include him in the narrative this time. “… started up on his six when he pulled through the clouds, and then I moved in above him.”

You gave him a puzzled frown. “Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?”

“Because I was inverted,” Bucky responded, without a hint of sarcasm.

_“Bullshit!”_ Romanoff coughed into her hand. The other recruits snickered.

“No, man, he was. It was a really great move,” Steve said in his defense. “We were totally inverted.”

“You were in a four-G _inverted_ dive with a MiG-28?” you asked incredulously.

Bucky nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“At what range?”

There was some discussion between Bucky and Steve as to whether it was two metres, or whether it was closer to one and a half. You interrupted their banter with a polite cough. “Lieutenant, _what_ the hell were you doing there?”

“Communicating,” Steve offered.

“Communicating,” agreed Bucky. “Keeping up foreign relations.”

“You know, giving him the finger,” Steve added helpfully, demonstrating what he meant. He blushed beet-red when you glared at him whilst informing him that you knew very well what he meant. He put his hand down. “Sorry, I hate it when it does that.”

You looked at Bucky again, and he couldn’t decipher the expression on your face as you muttered softly, “So you’re the one.”

Danvers advised the team that they had exercises to run. “The hard-deck for this hop is ten thousand feet. There is to be no engagement below that. Dismissed.”

With a cocky grin, Bucky saluted you as he walked past. As he headed towards the locker room, he heard you call out. “Lieutenant Barnes!”

Steve flicked his eyes towards you, before straightening Bucky’s collar and patting his cheek. “You look great, sweetie. Don’t be late!”

“Thanks, dear,” Bucky smirked as his co-pilot headed to get the instructions for the training session. “See ya in pre-flight.”

You stood in front of Bucky with an exasperated expression on your face. “Why didn’t you tell me last night that you were a famous HYDRA MiG insulter?”

He shrugged. “Would it have made any difference?”

“Not in the ladies room, no.”

“Then what would have?” Bucky asked as he started walking towards pre-flight.

You lengthened your stride to match his, keeping up with him easily despite the towering heels you wore. “I’m an instructor at this school. I see twenty new hotshots through here every eight weeks. I’m sure you can do the math.”

You reached out a hand, lightly touching his arm, and he paused mid-stride to look at you. “Look, Lieutenant, I’d just really like to hear about the MiG sometime.”

He quirked an eyebrow, before that trademark smirk returned to his face. “You’ve got the security clearance, doll. Why don’t you just read about it?”

He left you staring after him, a reluctant grin on your face.

**************************************

Bucky had been impressed that you were prepared to follow him to find out more about his encounter with the HYDRA jet. He was not as impressed when he got to the top of the stairs and found Black Widow waiting for him.

“Barnes.” She came and stood in front of him, her perfectly groomed brows creased in a frown. “I’m curious as to who was covering Iron Man while you were showboating with that MiG.”

“Iron Man was doing just fine,” Bucky assured him.

“Right.” Without another word, Romanoff headed into pre-flight, and Bucky followed a few steps behind. They entered pre-flight just as the final instructions were being given.

“Gentlemen, this is your first hop,” Lieutenant Commander Danvers announced. “The jets you are flying against are smaller, faster and more manoeuverable – just like the enemy MiG’s. The clock is ticking and as of now we are keeping score.”

**************************************

Bucky was chasing after Carol Danvers, but lost visual. “I lost her, Steve.”

“I’m lookin’, Buck!” He turned and saw Danvers’ jet gaining on them. “Got her! She’s on our tail.”

“Yeah, I got her,” Bucky confirmed. “Here we go.”

He banked hard left, speeding over the salt lake below with Danvers in hot pursuit. “Talk to me, Steve.”

“She’s gaining on us,” Steve said, noticing Carol not far behind the Quinjet. “She’s closing fast!”

“You can run, kid, but you can’t hide,” Carol mocked.

“All right, Avenger, let’s see if I can give you a run for your money,” Bucky muttered. He twisted and turned as much as the jet would allow, keeping one eye on his adversary whilst trying to avoid crashing into the surrounding mountains.

Steve checked the tail again. “She’s still there, Buck! C’mon, give me some of that pilot shit you’re so good at.”

Bucky grew frustrated as Danvers continued to chase after him. No matter what he did, he couldn’t shake her. He heard the missile lock engaging, and snarled, “I’ve had just about enough of this shit. When I hit the brakes, she’ll fly right by.”

Just as Danvers was about to take the shot, Bucky slammed on the brakes, pulling straight up. Carol flew on and cursed as she lost sight of him.

Bucky dropped in directly behind her with a whoop of delight. “All right! Let’s see what you got, Avenger!”

The tables were turned, and Bucky loved it. This was what he lived for. He chased after Danvers as she tried everything to evade him. Bucky called back to Steve, “She’s going vertical, so am I.”

“We’re goin’ ballistic, Buck. Let’s get her!” Steve noticed that Carol was dropping altitude fast. She veered hard right, and Bucky immediately followed. “She’s heading for the hard-deck. Let’s get down there first and nail her!”

“You’re mine, Avenger,” Bucky said, as he came around behind her. Engaging the missile lock, he took the shot. “Gotcha!”

“Woohoo! Avenger is dead!” Steve crowed.

Carol’s unimpressed voice came over the comms. “Get your asses above the hard-deck and return to base immediately.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Bucky saluted to her through the cockpit window before heading back to base.

**************************************

“Yeah, baby, Avenger is dead!” Steve finished retelling the defeat of their nemesis to the other recruits. Sam ‘Falcon’ Wilson clapped him on the back in congratulations.

Pietro ‘Quicksilver’ Maximoff groaned. “You guys won? That is such bullshit! это отстой!”

“Didn’t everyone win?” Steve asked.

“Nah, man,” Falcon said. “We got our asses handed to us by Avenger.”

“Thirty seconds!” added Quicksilver. “I went this way, she went that way. I said, ‘Where did she go?’ and Falcon said, ‘Where did who go?’ I tell you, it was shit.”

“And then to add insult to injury, she’s laughing at us,” Falcon continued with a pout. “ _Laughing_ at us!”

Barton snorted. “No, that was _me_ laughing, dickhead. We won!”

“All right!” Steve shook hands with Clint and Romanoff.

“They won too!” Sam pointed at Bucky and Steve.

“That’s not what I heard,” said Natasha dismissively, putting her helmet in her locker.

Steve said defensively, “No, we did, man. We got Danvers.”

Clint shook his head. “No. No, below the hard-deck doesn’t count.”

“Hard-deck my ass,” Bucky retorted. “We nailed that sucker fair and square.”

Natasha snorted. “You guys really are cowboys.”

Bucky whirled on her. “What is your problem, Romanoff?”

She returned his glare with a cool look of her own, moving to stand directly in front of him. “You, Barnes. You’re everyone’s problem. That’s because every time you go up in the air you’re unsafe. I don’t like you because you’re dangerous.”

“That’s right, sweetheart,” Bucky snarled. “I _am_ dangerous, so you’d better stay out of my way.”

Lieutenant Commander Danvers interrupted before the two of them came to blows. “Barnes! You and Rogers get out of that flight gear and head up to Coulson’s office. Now!”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

As they headed out of the locker room, Natasha’s voice called after them mockingly. “Remember boys, there’s no points for second place.”


	4. Rules of Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky cops a serve from Coulson, but a much more pleasant encounter with you bolsters his self-esteem.

Coulson’s voice was deceptively pleasant as he looked over the review of the training exercise. “Gentlemen, you had a helluva first day.”  
  
A brief pause. “The hard-deck for this hop was ten thousand feet. You knew it. You broke it. You followed Lieutenant Commander Danvers below after she lost sight of you and called ‘No joy’. Why?”  
  
“Sir!” Bucky replied. “I had Lieutenant Commander Danvers in my sights. She saw me move in for the kill, and she then proceeded below the hard-deck. We weren’t below ten thousand feet for more than a few seconds. I had the shot, there was no danger, so I took it.”

“You took it.” Coulson’s normally friendly face hardened. “And broke a major rule of engagement! Lieutenant Barnes, S.H.I.E.L.D’s rules of engagement exist for your safety and for that of your team. They are not flexible, and neither am I. Obey them, or you are history, is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir!”

Coulson sat down at his desk, holding Bucky’s gaze for an agonising few seconds, before nodding. “Dismissed.”  
  
Bucky led Steve out of the office. Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder. “I really enjoyed that, Buck. Thanks a lot.”

Bucky barely heard him. He looked into the window of the next office and noticed you sitting at your desk, reading a report. You had a pencil stuck in your hair, holding it in a half-assed bun, and your glasses were perched on the tip of your nose. Your lips moved as you read the report, clearly reading it aloud, and Bucky found it sexy as hell.

Maybe he’d tell you about that MiG over a drink some time.

**************************************

Carol leaned against Coulson’s desk. “Barnes’ fitness report says it all, Phil. He’s a wild card. Flies by the seat of his pants. He’s completely unpredictable.”

“He got you, didn’t he?”

Carol’s voice was full of grudging admiration. “Yeah, he did.”

“Tell me something, Danvers,” Coulson said. “If you had to go into battle, would you want him with you?”

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”

**************************************

Bucky looked up from the book he was attempting to read as Steve came into his room. “Hey, Stevie. What’s up?”

“Can’t sleep.” Steve sat down opposite Bucky. “You know, when I first realised that we were coming here, all I could think about was getting my hands on that trophy. But I gotta be honest with you, Buck. Right now, I just hope we graduate. I’ve got a family to think about. I can’t afford to blow this.”

Bucky sighed. “Yeah, I guess taking that shot wasn’t such a good idea, huh?”

“Look, Bucky, I know it’s hard for you. They wouldn’t let you into the Academy because you’re George Barnes’ kid. You have to live with that reputation. But I’m telling you, every time we go up there it’s like you’re flying against a ghost. It makes me nervous.”

Bucky stared into the bright blue eyes of his best friend. “You’re the only family I’ve got, Steve. I promise you, I’m not gonna let you down.”

“Thanks, Buck.” Steve hugged him.

“Get outta here, you big sap,” Bucky said, embarrassed at the display of affection.

“G’night, Buck.”

“Night, Steve.”

**************************************

Bucky felt a presence beside him, and looked up to find you perched on the edge of his desk, studying his paper intently.

“A rolling reversal would work well in that situation,” you suggested.

He took another look at the problem. “Yeah, but if I reversed on a hard cross I could immediately go to guns on him.”

You shook your head. “At that speed, it’s too fast. It’s a little bit too aggressive.”

“Too aggressive?” Bucky smirked at you, his default setting whenever he was engaged in conversation with you for more than two seconds. “Yeah, I guess when I see something I want I just go straight after it.”

You rolled your eyes and began to write something down in your notebook.

Bucky leaned forward. “You didn’t tell me who you were the other night at the bar.”

“You didn’t really give me a chance, did you, Mister Hotshot Pilot?” you replied with a quirk of a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “You deserved it.”

He nodded. “I know. But you were tempted to ask me out for dinner.”

“No.” You continued scribbling.

“No?” Bucky gaped at you in disbelief.

“No. I don’t date students.”

Bucky glared at the back of Clint’s head as the other man snickered. He gestured to you, and you leaned forward. He whispered in your ear, “I can see that it’s dangerous for you, doll. But if the government trusts me, then maybe you can, too.”

You handed over your evaluation sheet with a smirk of your own. “It takes a lot more than just fancy flying to impress me, Lieutenant.”

Bucky could barely contain his grin as he read the note you’d scribbled at the bottom of his evaluation.

_Dinner tonight_

_5.30pm sharp – don’t be late!_

_100 Marvel Beach_

_Classified_

As he headed out of the room, Clint grinned at him. “Crashed and burned, huh, Barnes?”

Bucky ignored him as he headed to the gym to spar with Steve before his dinner date with you.

**************************************

Bucky pulled into the driveway of the modest beach house, parking his Harley and hoping to hell that you weren’t going to be mad that he was nearly twenty minutes late. He ran up the front steps and rang the doorbell, cursing under his breath when there was no answer.

Taking a chance, he ran around the side of the house, hoping there was no large dog guarding the back entrance.

“Lieutenant!” you called out as you noticed him skulking in the backyard.

With an apologetic grimace, he entered the kitchen. “Sorry I’m late, doll.”

“What, no singing? I’m disappointed,” you grinned.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, but you cut him off.

“No apologies.” You finished chopping the salad ingredients, tossing them into a large bowl.

“D’you mind if I take a quick shower while you’re finishing up here?” Bucky asked. “I didn’t get a chance to freshen up before I left the base.”

You grabbed the salad bowl and headed to the dining table. “As a matter of fact, I do mind. I’m hungry.”

The two of you chatted amiably over pasta and white wine, enjoying each other’s company. It was friendly, full of banter and flirtation, and Bucky hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in a long time. He wasn’t used to companionship from anyone other than Steve, and yet talking to you was like talking to an old friend. It felt as if he’d known you his entire life, instead of only a few days.

You looked at him seriously. “You know, I thought a lot about tonight.”

Bucky gave you a look that indicated he’d been thinking about tonight too, but his thoughts were heading in a very different direction to yours.

“I thought to myself, Bucky’s clearly a smart guy. Why not just tell him why you’ve asked him to dinner?”

“So why did you ask me, doll?”

You leaned forward, elbows on the table. “The MiG,” you replied honestly. “You’re the only pilot I know who’s been up against a MiG-28.”

Bucky looked down at his plate, feeling slightly deflated. He’d thought that perhaps you were as attracted to him as he was to you, but of course, he should have known better. You were only interested in what he knew about the enemy aircraft.

Taking a sip of wine, you continued. “I’m trying for this big promotion at work, and if I get it then I’m not going to be here much longer. I’ll be moving to DC permanently, working at the Pentagon.”

“Seems like you’ve got it all figured out,” Bucky muttered.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“So, do you always get what you want?” he asked.

You shrugged. “No, not always. But, yeah, most of the time.”

“Relax about the MiG, doll.”

The two of you finished eating, and moved out to the back porch for coffee. Bucky told you about his childhood, growing up far too soon and having to look after his younger sister Becca after their parents died when he was in his early teens. She had been killed in a car crash only a few years later, and as a result Steve was the closest thing to family he now had.

“What happened to your father?” you asked gently. You knew the rumours, of course. Most people who dealt with S.H.I.E.L.D pilots had heard the stories about George Barnes at one time or another.

Bucky snorted. “I figured with your security clearance you’d know more about him than I do.”

“Sorry, I haven’t got that far yet,” you told him.

He came and sat next to you on the porch swing. “It’s all a big mystery. All I know is that he disappeared in an F-4 on a training exercise in Afghanistan. The bit that really stinks is that officially, everyone thinks he fucked up. But I don’t believe it. My old man was a great fighter pilot. But who the hell knows the truth? It’s all classified. We were told that he died on a mission, and my mom died of a broken heart not long after.”

“I’m sorry, Bucky,” you told him sincerely. “But somebody must know what really happened.”

“Yeah, somebody knows everything.”

“Is that why you’re always second best up there?” You regretted the words the instant they were out of your mouth.

“You’re pretty direct, aren’t you, doll?” Bucky said, without a hint of anger.

“Sorry,” you apologised.

“No apologies.” He leant forward, his eyes dropping to your lips and his voice husky. “I’m sorry I was late.”

“I’m sorry for being direct.”

He leaned forward a fraction more, and you found yourself moving closer to him involuntarily. You chuckled softly. “Well, this could be awkward to explain tomorrow.”

The spell broken, Bucky stood abruptly. You frowned at him. “Where are you going?”

“I’m gonna take a shower.” He smiled down at you. “Thanks for having me. I enjoyed being here.”

“Any time, Lieutenant,” you murmured, returning his smile.

You heard him start his Harley, and you groaned in frustration at the missed opportunity.


	5. Moment of Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A split-second decision marks a turning point for Bucky’s relationship with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut chapter - it's towards the end of the chapter so if you don't want to read that part, just skip it :)

Bucky stepped into the elevator after his session in the gym, and a wide grin appeared when he noticed you standing there. He wiped his face with the towel draped around his shoulders, and stood next to you.

Your eyes raked over his body, appreciating the way the sweat glistened on his tanned skin. His tank top emphasised his broad shoulders and chest. You pretended to wrinkle your nose in disgust. “It looks like you need another shower.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

The two of you stared at each other for a few seconds, before you turned serious. “Look, Lieutenant. I’m going to be honest with you. Your MiG sighting is really important to my work, but… well, I don’t normally invite students to my house.”

Bucky stepped closer to you, pushing you back against the elevator wall as his arms caged you. His scent, all sweat and spice and coffee, enveloped you and made it hard to focus your thoughts. His eyes lowered to your lips, before he stared directly into your eyes.

You stammered, “Um, please understand that I still have a job to do…”

“Is that all I am to you, doll? A job?” he whispered.

Before you could answer, the elevator dinged, and Bucky stepped away to stand on the opposite side as another officer entered. The officer nodded at the two of you, and you both pretended to ignore one another for the next few moments.

When the officer left at the next floor, Bucky immediately caged you between his arms once again. He once again moved his face towards yours, and you could feel his breath puffing softly against your lips. You licked your lips, and his eyes glinted at the movement.

“I’m glad we got that sorted out, doll.”

Then he abruptly left, leaving you alone in the elevator and once again groaning in frustration. Bucky Barnes was going to land you in a whole lot of hot water if you weren’t careful.

**************************************

Steve and Bucky were waiting for the flight which would be bringing Steve’s wife Peggy, and his young son Jamie, to visit. It had been several months since they’d been together, and Steve was looking forward to seeing his wife and child. Bucky, too, was anxious for them to arrive. He adored Steve’s pretty English wife, who treated him like a brother, and was very proud of the clever little godson who was his namesake.

“I told Peg how hard it is out here,” Steve said. “I even told her how you didn’t even have a girl here, and you know what she said?”

“What?” Bucky asked.

“She said, ‘Oh, he probably doesn’t have one, he’s got eight’.” They both laughed. Peggy knew all about Bucky’s reputation as a ladies man, and often teased him about the numerous women he strung along on his travels.

Finally the plane arrived, and the two men headed to the tarmac to greet Steve’s family. Jamie sprinted as fast as his little legs could carry him the moment he spotted his dad, and Steve scooped him up into his arms with a laugh. Peggy followed much more sedately, and yet it was obvious how happy she was to be with Steve once again.

She greeted Bucky just as warmly, planting a noisy kiss on his cheek. “So, Bucky, Steve tells me that you’re in love with one of your instructors.”

“Is that right, punk?” Bucky quirked an eyebrow at his best friend, before lifting Jamie up and placing him on his shoulders.

“I never said that!” Steve denied.

Bucky and Peggy grinned at one another as Steve continued to splutter indignantly that he would never say such a thing, and that he couldn’t believe that Peggy would believe such gossip, and anyway whatever he told her was in the strictest confidence and so she shouldn’t be repeating secrets where anybody could hear them.

Bucky just laughed.

**************************************

Coulson was highlighting the simulation of one of the most recent training exercises. “The bogey has good position right here. All right, freeze frame.”

Maria Hill froze the frame as instructed, and Coulson drew a ring around one of the fighters. “Moment of choice. The Quinjet is defensive; he has a chance to bug out right here. Better to retire and save your aircraft, than to push a bad position. Charlie, feel free to jump in here any time.”

Taking a sip of your coffee, you moved to stand beside Coulson as you scrutinised the footage. He continued, “Now, you stay in that diamond another three seconds, the bogey is going to blow you out of the sky. But if you take a hard right, he selects his own five, you can extend and escape.”

Coulson’s eyes seemed to bore straight through Bucky’s. “You made a bad choice, Lieutenant.”

Bucky squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as Hill brought up the next frame.

You studied the simulation, a frown marring your features. Pushing your glasses back from the tip of your nose, you spoke, your tone incredulous. “Aircraft One performs a split-S? That’s the last thing you should do in this situation. The MiG is right on your tail.”

Maria brought up the next sequence, and you asked her to freeze it. You came and stood directly in front of Bucky, your face impassive. “The MiG has you in his line of fire. What were you thinking at this point?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “You don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead.”

“That’s a massive gamble with a forty million dollar plane, Lieutenant.”

Bucky could feel Romanoff’s smirk at the back of his head. She probably had a bucket of popcorn, sitting back and enjoying the show while he got his ass chewed out by his superiors. He’d never been so humiliated in his entire career. Steve’s sympathetic gaze just made him feel worse.

Crossing your arms in front of your chest, you continued to stare at Bucky. “Unfortunately, your gamble worked. The MiG never got a clean shot.”  
  
Addressing the rest of the class, you pointed to the screen. “The Winter Soldier makes an aggressive vertical move here, comes over the top, and he defeats the bandit with a missile shot. The encounter was a victory, but I think we’ve shown it as a perfect example of what _not_ to do.”

You moved onto the next exercise, and Bucky tried to concentrate. He turned as he felt a tap on his shoulder, and found Falcon looking at him respectfully. “That was the gutsiest move I’ve ever seen, man.”

Bucky nodded his appreciation, before pretending to pay attention to the rest of the lecture.

You brought up an image of Black Widow’s training sequence. “Now then, _this_ is a perfect example of a textbook manoeuvre…”

Great. Just when he thought this day couldn’t get any worse.

**************************************

“Lieutenant.”

Bucky ignored you, continuing to stalk towards the carpark.

“Lieutenant!” Your voice was louder, and yet Bucky continued to pretend not to notice that you were trying to attract his attention. He practically leapt onto his Harley, starting the engine immediately.

“Bucky.”

He revved the engine of his bike as you approached. He saw your lips moving, but he just continued to rev the bike. He tapped his ear. “I can’t hear you!”

He sped away, leaving you staring after him.

Without hesitation, you leapt behind the wheel of your car and raced after him, heedless of such mundane things as traffic lights or stop signs or other vehicles. You screeched to a stop behind him just as he got off his bike outside your house, and slammed the door of your car as he stalked towards you angrily.

“Jesus Christ, doll! And you call _me_ reckless! I’ll have you know that when I’m flying, my crew and my plane come first!”

You ignored the fist he held clenched in front of your face, returning his glare with an icy gaze of your own. “Well, I’m going to finish what I was saying, Lieutenant, and you are damn well going to listen! My review of your flight performance was right on in my professional opinion.”

“Is that right?” he sneered.

“That is right,” you retorted. “But I didn’t say everything that I wanted to. I held something back. I see some real genius in your flying, James Barnes. You might just be the most talented pilot I’ve ever seen, but I can’t say that in there. Because if I did, I’m afraid that everyone in that room would see right through me. And I just don’t want any of them to know how hard I’ve fallen for you.”

You stared into Bucky’s blue-grey eyes, and his expression was one of momentary confusion. He didn’t say a word, and you found yourself wondering if you had completely misinterpreted the situation.

Taking a step toward you, he searched your face for any sign that you were lying to him. Once he was satisfied that you were telling him the truth, he didn’t say anything.

He crashed his lips onto yours, and that told you everything you needed to know.

**************************************

Bucky backed you up against the wall, kissing you passionately even as you fumbled with his belt buckle. He hissed when you palmed him through the front of his jeans, and he hurriedly kicked them off.

Moving his lips to your neck, he sucked gently as he undid the buttons of your blouse. It fell to the floor, and he moved his mouth to your collarbone, sliding the strap of your bra off your shoulder as he did so. He moved to the other shoulder, caressing your breasts through the lacy material. You moaned softly, and he smirked as he felt your nipples pebble beneath his touch. He deftly unhooked your bra and bent his head to take a nipple in his mouth, alternating between sucking gently and licking it. His hand continued its ministrations on your other breast as he did so.

You trailed your fingers down his torso, and he hissed again when you slipped a hand inside his boxers and gripped his length. You twisted your hand slightly, and he bucked against you. He returned the favour by pushing your panties aside and sliding one finger along the length of your pussy, delighted to find you already wet and wanting. He slid his finger inside, marvelling at how tight you felt. He added another finger, and then a third, as you thrust your hips against his hand. His thumb circled your clit, dragging you closer to the edge.

Bucky kissed you again, slow and languid, as your tongues danced together. He held you close, and you looped one arm behind his neck to help keep you upright as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of you. He crooked his fingers, finding that particular spot that made your eyes roll to the back of your head, and you groaned.

“God, doll, I love the sounds you make,” he whispered against your lips. He removed his fingers, and grinned when you whined at the loss of contact. “Don’t worry, doll. I’m gonna keep giving you attention.”

He slowly kissed down your body until he was kneeling on the floor. He pressed a kiss to one hipbone, and then the other, as he slid your panties down. He gazed up at you, giving you a cheeky wink, before he hooked one of your legs over his shoulder. Grabbing hold of your hips, he pulled you close, then licked a long stripe along the length of your pussy.

You nearly collapsed at the sensation, and it was lucky that his strong hands held you in place. He licked you again, before shifting his attention to your clit. His tongue circled the little bundle of nerves that was the epicentre of your pleasure, and you could feel him smirk against you when you moaned loudly.

“You taste amazing, Y/N. I could spend hours just eating you out.”

“Bucky, you talk too much,” you groaned, before twining your fingers in his hair and pressing his face against your crotch.

He chuckled softly, before returning his focus to your warm folds. He licked and sucked, occasionally nibbling softly on your clit, and when you started lifting your hips and grinding against his mouth, he began to fuck you with his tongue. You nearly sobbed as you felt your orgasm crashing over you, and Bucky never stopped lavishing attention on your pussy, continuing to lick you until you came down from your high.

Gently, he lowered your leg before standing up. You nearly collapsed, and he quickly scooped you up into his strong arms. “Don’t worry, doll. I’ve got you.”

He carried you into your bedroom, kissing you the entire time, before gently laying you down. He pumped his cock a few times, waiting while you reached into your bedside drawer for a condom. You sat up and kissed him as you rolled it on, and he pushed you back down. His mouth never left yours as he lined himself up at your entrance. With a quick thrust, he buried himself to the hilt, groaning at the pleasure he felt as your tight walls caressed his cock.

He gave you a moment to adjust to his size – he was much bigger than anyone else you’d ever slept with, and you had never felt so full before – and once you nodded, he began slowly thrusting in and out. Your hips lifted to meet his, and you were soon dancing to that sensuous rhythm that man and woman have been involved in since time began.

Bucky kissed you the entire time, his lips never leaving yours as he murmured your name, and how good you felt, and how nobody had ever fit him like you did. There weren’t many women who could accommodate his full length, and he thought he would die from ecstasy when he bottomed out. You really were perfect. You raked your nails down his back, and he groaned with pleasure at the sensation. Soon, his thrusts became sloppier, and he moaned, “I’m close, doll, tell me you’re close. ‘m not gonna last.”

You could feel your pleasure peaking. Bucky slipped one hand between your bodies, his deft fingers finding your clit and providing just the right amount of friction to tip you over the edge. You screamed his name as your walls convulsed around his cock, and he came only a moment later, collapsing against you once he was spent.

Once his breathing had returned to normal, Bucky slid out of you, removing the condom and throwing it in the waste basket in your bathroom. He padded back to the bed, smiling to himself when he noticed that you were already asleep. He climbed in beside you, pulling you close and smiling even wider when you snuggled under the crook of his arm, your breath puffing softly against his neck.

Pressing a soft kiss to your temple, he whispered, “I love you, Y/N,” before he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him.

**************************************

You woke as the warmth of the morning sun caressed your face. Smiling sleepily, you turned to face Bucky, only to find yourself greeted by an empty space. You frowned, then noticed the piece of paper wrapped around a single rose which was sitting on his pillow.

_Morning, doll. I was going to ask you to join me for a shower, but you looked so pretty sleeping I didn’t want to wake you. Maybe next time.  
  
See you at training.  
  
Bucky xx_

Smiling to yourself, you headed into the bathroom to get ready for work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't update this on Friday - I actually forgot!!! I remembered at 3am this morning (as you do) so my apologies if you've been waiting patiently for the past few days. Hopefully we will be back to our regular update schedule for the rest of it :)


	6. Don't You Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A training exercise goes tragically wrong, and Bucky struggles to deal with the fallout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Major character death

Bucky and Steve were heading towards their Quinjet when Quicksilver and Falcon came up beside them. Steve turned to the Falcon. “Hey, did you hear about Black Widow?”

“She won another one,” the other man sighed as he jogged towards his jet.

Bucky and Steve shared a look, before immediately chanting together, “I feel the need, the need for _speed!”_

High-fiving each other, they climbed aboard their jet and began their hop. They heard Lieutenant Commander Danvers’ voice over the comms. “Gentlemen, this is Hop Nineteen. Multiple aircraft, multiple bogeys. You are halfway through your training, and competition for the Avengers trophy remains tight. In first place is Black Widow, with the Winter Soldier only two points behind in second.”

Falcon’s voice sounded over the comms as he spotted two bogeys to his left. “There they are. Three miles left. I don’t think they see us yet.”

Bucky checked and confirmed, “Got it, I see ‘em. Two A-4’s, left ten o’clock. Level and continue left turn.”

The two Quinjets chased after their targets.

A pleasant voice greeted them over the comms. “Good morning, gentlemen. The temperature is a hundred and ten degrees.”

“Holy shit, Coulson’s up here!” came the indignant screech from Quicksilver.

“Coulson’s up here? That’s great!” Steve replied cheerfully, before muttering softly so only Bucky could hear him, “Shit, we’re fucked now.”

“Great, he’s probably saying ‘Shit, it’s the Winter Soldier and Captain America’,” Bucky grinned.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s saying exactly that,” Steve muttered sourly.

Bucky spotted the two A-4’s in front of him. “I’ve got my eye on the northern bogey.”

“Roger, I got the southern guy,” Falcon confirmed.

“Falcon, you’ve got the lead. I’ll cover you,” Bucky told him.

They circled round, trying to converge on the two bogeys from either side. As they came closer, Coulson and Danvers broke high, causing Bucky and Falcon to fly right past them. Coulson dropped away, but Danvers remained in their line of sight.

Bucky called, “Falcon, we’re losing Coulson. Let’s just stay on Avenger.”

“Roger that.”

“Cap, find Coulson. He’s out there somewhere,” Bucky said to his co-pilot.

Steve shook his head. “Stay with Falcon, Buck. We’re covering his wing.”

Bucky looked out the cockpit and spotted his quarry. “There he is, Cap! Three o’clock low.”

“Stay with Falcon, Bucky,” Steve repeated. “We’re his cover.”

“Don’t you leave me, Soldier!” Falcon cried.

“Falcon, you’re lookin’ good. I’m going after Coulson.” Bucky dropped out of formation, ignoring the string of curses that Falcon threw at him.

“Buck, don’t leave him!” Steve urged.

Bucky looked over his shoulder at his co-pilot. “Cap, Falcon is fine. I want Coulson.”

The Quinjet flew towards Coulson’s fighter, and Steve swore. “Holy shit, we’re head-to-head. I cannot believe we are doing this.”

Coulson banked hard right at the last moment, evading Bucky before he could engage the target lock. Bucky wheeled around, bringing his jet in behind Coulson’s. He followed every twist and turn that his instructor took, gaining ground rapidly. He attempted to lock onto the target, but Coulson continued to evade him.

Bucky was so intent on getting the kill that he failed to notice the trap that Coulson had set for him until it was far too late. Just as he was about to engage, he heard his own jet’s missile lock beep alarmingly. “Cap, check our tail!”

Steve looked behind him and swore again. “Shit! It’s Avenger!”

“Bingo,” came Carol’s triumphant tone. “The Winter Soldier is dead. You’re outta there, kid.”

“Fuck!” Bucky swore.

Steve thunked his head on his instrument panel. “The Defense Department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid.”

“All right, gentlemen, let’s go home. Boss has the lead,” Coulson ordered.

Bucky followed him back to base, his head hanging in shame.

**************************************

Danvers came up to Bucky in the locker room, ignoring the other cadets. “That was some of the best flying I’ve ever seen up there. Right up to the part where you got killed. You never, _never_ leave your wingman.”

She stalked off without a backward glance, and Bucky slammed his fist into his locker.

Black Widow stood directly in front of him. “It’s not your flying, Barnes. It’s your attitude. The enemy is dangerous, but right now you’re worse than the enemy. You’re dangerous and foolish. You may not like the guys you’re flying with, and they sure as shit may not like you, but I’ve just got to ask – whose side are you on?”

Romanoff walked away, Hawkeye close behind. Bucky glared at their retreating backs before flopping onto the bench, his head in his hands.

Steve glanced at his friend. “At least Coulson got Black Widow before he got us. We’ve still got a shot.”  
  
Small consolation. Bucky shook his head. “It was stupid. I know better than that.”

He looked Steve in the eye. “It will _never_ happen again.”

Steve nodded. “I know.”

The two of them headed to the showers, eager to wash the defeat and humiliation away.

**************************************

Peggy smiled indulgently at her husband as he bashed away at the piano, Jamie sitting atop the instrument and swinging his little legs in time to his father’s raucous ‘singing’. The two of them had decided to be the entertainment in the bar that afternoon, and the other patrons were ribbing them good-naturedly, calling out requests which father and son happily obliged.

Peggy elbowed Bucky in the ribs. “Will you go and stop him please? Dear Lord, does he never embarrass you?”  
  
Bucky sipped his beer. “Who, Steve? Hell, no. Well, there was the…”

“Admiral’s daughter,” Peggy grinned, as Bucky spluttered indignantly.

“What?” you asked, eager to hear the dirt about the pilot you were desperately enamoured of.

“Steve told me all about the time you went ballistic with that girl, Dot.” Peggy gave Bucky a sly look.

“Oh, did he now?” Bucky looked betrayed. “That’s great. Just great.”

She giggled. “He tells me about all of them, Bucky. How my little angel Steve goes home early for church, and _you_ always go home with the hot women.”

Bucky looked at you to save him, and you shook your head. Peggy Carter had absolutely no filter, and you could not wait for her to tell you absolutely everything about her husband’s best friend. You were going to be able to torment him for weeks with the knowledge she could give you.

Bucky sighed. “Thanks for that, Peggy. I might just go and embarrass myself with Steve for a while.”

He pouted in your direction as he stood, and you grinned back at him. With another put-upon sigh, he headed over to the piano and joined Steve and Jamie, who were currently murdering ‘Great Balls of Fire’.

Peggy patted the empty seat next to her, and you scooched over to her. She wrapped a companionable arm around your shoulders. “Y/N, darling, I would love to be able to warn you about James, but I just love him to death. I’ve known him for a lot of years now, and I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: there are hearts breaking wide open all over the world tonight.”

You looked at her curiously. “Why?”  
  
Peggy gave you a look which indicated that perhaps you weren’t particularly bright. “Because unless you are a fool, than man is no longer on the market. Bucky Barnes is absolutely, positively, one hundred percent, prime time in love with _you_.”

You blinked several times before your brain began working again. “Really?”

“Trust me on this one, honey. I’ve never seen him like this before. If you’re smart, you’ll snap him up before he graduates.”

“Huh.” You sipped your beer, as you gazed at Bucky speculatively. He felt your eyes upon him, and turned to give you a flirty wink. You rolled your eyes with mock exasperation, even as you grinned back at him.

Peggy had certainly given you something to think about.

**************************************

Carol announced, “All right, everyone. This is Hop Thirty-One. Two weeks to graduation. The Avengers trophy is still up for grabs, so every point counts.”

The Quinjets took off, each team waiting for their turn to complete the simulation and try to defeat Carol and claim bragging rights. Bucky in particular was determined to win today. He and Steve were still two points behind Black Widow and Hawkeye, and it grated that he was still second best, no matter how damn hard he tried.

He was her wingman today, and she smirked at him from the cockpit of her Quinjet as they reached the hard deck. He smirked back, each of them wishing the other the best while secretly hoping that they crashed and burned, metaphorically speaking.

“Well, it’s the bottom of the ninth. Scores are tied. Time for the big one,” Steve said.

“You up for this one, Soldier?” Widow called.

“Just a walk in the park, Romanoff,” Bucky retorted.

Hawkeye checked his radar. “Contact, multiple bogeys, one-six-five. Two miles. Looks like they’re heading away from us.”

Bucky checked over his shoulder. “Oh, I see ‘em. Right, two o’clock. I’m in.”

“I’m in,” echoed Nat, and both of them veered right towards Coulson, Danvers and Hill.

They came in directly behind the smaller jets, and one of them immediately broke formation, wheeling around to the right as the other two jets continued on their path. Bucky followed the lone jet, and as he came in behind, Black Widow flew over him before pulling in front.

“That bitch cut me off!” Bucky dropped slightly below her, and grew frustrated at the other pilot’s restraint. “Come on, come on! He’s right there! Come on, Romanoff, take the shot!”

“Come on, Widow, get out of there!” Steve’s voice was unusually terse.

“I can’t get the angle,” Nat called. “I’m too close for missiles. Switching to guns.”

She still didn’t take the shot. Bucky snarled, “Widow, either take the shot or get clear!”

The jets wheeled around, and the smaller plane was directly in Bucky’s sights. “Jesus, I could take the shot right here!”

“I need another twenty seconds, then I’ve got him,” replied Natasha.

Bucky grew impatient. “I’m moving in, I’ve got the shot.”

“Come on, Buck, let’s get in there!” Steve urged.

Clint checked behind him. “Bucky’s getting impatient, Nat. Take the shot.”

“Ten more seconds,” she muttered.

“Come on, man! Get the hell out of there and let us take the shot!” Steve yelled.

“Widow, come off my right. I’m in,” Bucky said.

“Five more seconds,” she insisted.

“Come off my right, I’m in,” repeated Bucky.

“I’m off,” she agreed. “Shit!”

She pulled up and away, and Bucky’s jet immediately began shaking violently as it was buffeted by the jetwash from the other Quinjet.

“We’re in her jetwash!” cried Steve, as the plane continued to shudder and lose altitude.

Bucky swore as he fought the controls, trying to bring the jet out of its potentially lethal spin. “Shit!”

The alarms were blaring frantically, and Steve glared at the instrument panel as he noticed one of the engines cut out. “This is not good, Buck. We got a flame out. Engine One is out.”

Less than a second later, “Engine Two is out!”

“Steve, I’m losing control!” Bucky panicked. “I can’t control it! It won’t recover! Fuck!”

The jet began spinning wildly as it rapidly lost altitude, Steve alternately seeing the mountains and then the blue sky as they began to fall. “Come on, pull it up, Buck! This is not good, we’re out of control!”

“Mayday, mayday,” Nat contacted the base, her normally cool voice edged with hysteria. “Winter Soldier is in trouble. He’s in a flat spin, heading out to sea!”

“Altitude is eight thousand feet! Seven thousand!” Steve stared in horror as the numbers rolled faster than he’d ever seen before. “We’re at six, Buck!”

Bucky strained in his seat. “I’m pinned forward, Steve! I can’t reach the ejection handle!”

He tried once more to reach the handle, and swore as his fingers refused to stretch that last inch. “Steve, you’re gonna have to punch us out of here. I can’t reach the ejection handle!”

“I’m tryin’, Buck!” Steve reached desperately for the handle, hoping that he could pull it before the Quinjet smashed into the ocean at breakneck speed.

“Eject! Eject!”

With one last desperate lunge, Steve managed to grab the ejection handle and yanked it as hard as he could. The canopy blew off, but instead of flying backwards as it was meant to, it went straight up. Bucky’s seat managed to clear as he was ejected from the jet, but Steve’s seat went straight up and into the canopy, colliding with a sickening crunch.

Bucky watched in horror as the motionless form of his best friend drifted into the ocean. He fought to free himself from the restraints, cursing the parachute which had saved his life but was now encumbering his movements. Finally managing to untangle himself from the waterlogged fabric, he swam desperately towards his friend, who was sinking beneath the waves.

“Steve! _Steve!”_ Bucky pulled the parachute out of the way, managing to wrap his fingers around the straps of the other chute and pull Steve up. “Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!”

Steve’s face was bloodied, his body limp. Bucky held onto him for dear life. As he clung to his friend, he sobbed and prayed to a God that he was no longer sure he believed in. Steve had been his best friend since they were eight years old. He had sworn to always protect him, and he had failed. How could he face Peggy and Jamie?  
  
“Don’t you leave me, Stevie. You hear me? Don’t you dare leave me!” Bucky begged.

He repeated the mantra over and over, hoping that by sheer force of will he could save his best friend. He barely noticed when the Coast Guard helicopter flew overhead, finally coming to their rescue.

He tightened his grip on Steve when a Coast Guard lifesaver approached him. “You have to let him go, Sir.”

Bucky shook his head, instead pulling Steve closer to his chest. “Sir! Sir, you have to let him go.”

Reluctantly, Bucky relinquished his hold, and the lifesaver attached the hook to Steve’s belt, allowing him to be winched aboard the helicopter.

Bucky didn’t even notice when they’d dragged him aboard as well, flying them back to base.

**************************************

Bucky splashed water on his face, feeling the small scratch on his forehead that was the only physical reminder of what had happened. He heard footsteps approaching, and stood to attention when he noticed Coulson coming towards him.

“How are you doing?” Coulson asked gently.

Bucky sighed. “I’m all right.”

“Steve is dead.”

“I know.” Bucky had known from the moment they’d hit the water, but he had been hoping against hope for a miracle. He stared into the mirror, his haunted eyes reflecting back at him.

“You fly jets long enough, something like this happens,” Coulson said pragmatically.

“He was my reel. My responsibility,” Bucky muttered tonelessly.

Coulson looked at him. “My squad in Afghanistan, we lost eight of eighteen aircraft. Ten men. The first one dies, you die too. But there will be others. You can count on it.”

He placed something into Bucky’s hand, and Bucky frowned as he noticed Steve’s dog tags.

“You’ve got to let him go.” Coulson clapped him on the shoulder, before leaving Bucky to his grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry.... :(


	7. I Don't Know What The Hell Went Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky continues to struggle with Steve’s death, leading him to make a drastic decision.

Bucky was silent as you drove him to the building where Steve had lived during training. As you pulled up to the curb, he sighed loudly. “I think maybe it was my fault.”

You looked at him, and he shook his head. You could hear the pain and the unshed tears in his voice. “I don’t know what the hell went wrong up there.”

“I’d like to help,” you said softly. “I know it’s difficult right now.”

Bucky didn’t look at you. “God, I want him back.”

He got out of the car, and looked at you, his expression blank. You gave him a small smile. “I’ll be here if you need me, okay?”

He nodded, then wordlessly headed inside. You watched him leave, tears filling your eyes. You felt that even though he was still here physically, a very large part of Bucky had died along with Steve, and it broke your heart.

**************************************

Bucky filled a shoebox with a few mementos, before heading to the lounge where Peggy was sitting, staring at nothing. Jamie, with the blissful ignorance of a four-year-old, was happily playing with the toy plane that his father had given him only a few days earlier.

He broke down as Peggy came and wrapped her arms around him, both of them sharing their grief at the loss of the man they had loved wholeheartedly.

Eventually, Peggy pulled away, caressing Bucky’s cheek gently. “God, he loved flying with you, Bucky.”

Bucky didn’t say anything, just staring at Peggy with an expression of such suffering that her heart broke all over again.

“And he’d have flown anyway, without you,” she continued softly. “If it had been the other way around, he’d have gone on without you. He would have hated it, but he would have done it.”

“I don’t know if I can, Peg,” Bucky whispered.

She hugged him again. “You have to, Bucky. He wouldn’t want you to stop flying, no matter how much it hurts. You’re so close to graduating. Don’t waste all of that effort. If not for yourself, then do it for Steve.”

Gathering Jamie to her, she grabbed her things and headed to the taxi which was waiting to take them to the airport, leaving Bucky sobbing silently as the only family he knew left him.

**************************************

Bucky stood stoically in front of the panel, awaiting the verdict.

The main judge spoke clearly and concisely. “We find that the Quinjet flat-spin was induced by the disruption of airflow into the starboard engine. This disruption stalled the engine, which produced enough yaw rate to induce a spin which was unrecoverable. There was no way that Lieutenant Barnes could either see or avoid the jetwash which produced the engine stall. Therefore, the Board of Inquiry finds that Lieutenant James Barnes was not at fault for the accident, and as such his record will be cleared of this incident. Lieutenant Barnes is therefore cleared for flight status without further delay. These proceedings are now closed.”

Bucky felt absolutely nothing. Without a word, he left the courtroom.

Coulson leaned across to Carol, both of them having listened to the proceedings. “Get him back up flying as soon as possible.”

**************************************

Bucky sat in the cockpit, dully going through his pre-flight routine. He’d been paired with Peter ‘Starlord’ Quill, a gungho pilot who thought he was better than he really was, and whose non-stop chatter set Bucky’s teeth on edge.

He chased after Danvers, who was leading him through the mountains. She hissed with frustration at his lack of aggression. “Come on, kid. Engage me.”

“All right, you got a bogey at two o’clock low, Winter Soldier,” Starlord informed him. “You got the angle. It’s a piece of cake, pal.”

Bucky frowned as he tried to focus.

“Take the shot, kid,” Carol urged. “Take the shot!”

“You can engage any time, Soldier,” said Starlord.

Bucky shook his head, sweat dripping down his face. He held Steve’s dog tags tightly in his fist. Without a word, he banked left and headed back towards the base.

Quill ripped his breathing apparatus off in annoyance. “Where the hell are you going, man?”

“It’s not good,” Bucky replied. “It doesn’t look good.”

“What do you mean, it doesn’t look good?” Starlord cried incredulously. “It doesn’t get to look any better than that!”

Bucky landed and stalked towards the hangar, an extremely pissed off Starlord stomping after him.

“Hey, man, we coulda had him,” Quill whined for what felt like the hundredth time.  
  
With a snarl, Bucky grabbed the other pilot’s flight suit in both fists, his expression menacing. “I will fire when I’m goddamn good and ready! You got that?”

He shoved the other man away, before continuing on his own back to his locker. The other pilots all stared after him, wondering whether he would ever get back to his usual cocksure self. Black Widow shook her head, assured that the trophy would be hers, and yet feeling upset that she had lost her most genuine competition.

Coulson watched him wordlessly, and Danvers came up to him. “He won’t get back in the saddle, won’t engage.”

“It’s only been a few days,” murmured Coulson.

“You know he might never make it back from this,” Carol told him.

“Keep sending him up.”

**************************************

Natasha approached Bucky cautiously as he emptied his locker. Taking a deep breath, she said softly, “Barnes?”

He stopped what he was doing, his back still turned to her but she had no doubt that he was listening.  
  
“I’m really sorry about Steve. Everybody really liked him. He was a good friend.” She bit her bottom lip, pondering what to say next. "You don't have to leave, you know. You're my only decent competition around here."

Bucky trembled, and she decided to quit while she was ahead.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, before leaving him alone.

Sam watched the exchange silently, and frowned as Bucky finished shoving his belongings into his duffel bag before stalking off. With a sigh, he phoned Coulson. “Yeah, it’s Falcon. Sir… Barnes just quit.”

**************************************

Bucky sat at the bar, head in his hands, looking as if he’d spent the entire night drinking. You sighed heavily, before walking in his direction. He acknowledged you with a grunt, not looking at you as he took a sip of his drink.

You gestured to the barstool next to him. “May I?”

“Please.”

A waitress came over to take your drink order. “Um, I’ll have what he’s having.” You pointed at the glass in Bucky’s hand. “Arsenic, is it?”

He huffed out a mirthless laugh. “It’s iced water.”

The waitress gave you a confused look, but you just nodded at her to get the drink. Once she’d left, you looked accusingly at him. “So, you were just going to leave without even saying goodbye?”

“I heard you got that job in Washington,” he said in a monotone. “Good for you, doll. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, but I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye first.”

He gave you a sad smile. “It’s good to see you.”

“So, where are you going?” When he didn’t answer, you rolled your eyes. “You don’t even have a ticket, do you?”

Bucky continued to avoid looking at you. You placed a hand on his arm. “You know, I’ve reviewed all of the evidence from the accident and you were not responsible for what happened to Steve. It wasn’t your fault.”

He gave a snort of disbelief, and you grabbed his chin in your hand, forcing him to look at you. “You are one of the best pilots that S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever seen, Bucky. What you do up there is dangerous. But you’ve got to go on. Steve would want you to go on.”

He shook his head. “You don’t understand…”

“When I first met you, you were larger than life. You were an absolute breath of fresh air. Now look at you, sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. That’s not you, Bucky, not the real you. You will never be happy unless you are going at Mach 2 with your hair on fire. You know that.”

“No, doll. It’s over. It’s just over.” The heartbreak in his voice was almost more than you could bear.

“To be the best of the best means that you make mistakes, but you pick yourself up and go on. Just like the rest of us.”

“You don’t think I know that?” he hissed.

“I’m here to help.”

The expression on his face was sullen. “If I wanted your help, doll, I would have asked for it.”

His words were like a slap in the face. Tears of hurt filled your eyes. “So I’m too late. You’ve already left. You didn’t learn a goddamn thing while you were here, did you? Except to quit. You’ve got that manoeuvre down perfectly.”

Bucky ground his teeth, his jaw jutting in anger, but gave no other response. You stood abruptly, and his face was startled.

“Goodbye, Bucky Barnes.”

You turned and left without another word, leaving him staring forlornly after you.

**************************************

Bucky knocked on Coulson’s door, and his wife Melinda answered. “Hi, Bucky. How are you?”

“Good,” he answered shortly.

Melinda gave him a stern look, clearly not believing him. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

He nodded, and she decided not to question him further. It was obvious he was struggling, yet it wasn’t her place to give him advice. “Well, make yourself comfortable. I’ll let Phil know you’re here.”

“Thanks.” Bucky found himself staring at Coulson’s photos from his time in Afghanistan, and was astonished to see one of Phil with his arm around George Barnes. His father.

“I flew with your old man,” came Phil’s quiet voice, and Bucky turned to look at him. “You’re a lot like he was you know, only better.”

A brief pause, and a wry smile. “And worse.”

Bucky didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so he settled for staring steadily at his leader. Coulson continued, “He was a natural, heroic son of a bitch.”

“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?” Bucky mused. He turned back to his father’s photo. “So he did do it right.”

Coulson nodded. “Yeah, he did it right.”

The two of them headed outside, away from curious gazes and listening ears. Coulson led Bucky down the path towards the beach. “Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something?”

Bucky didn’t answer.

After a moment, Coulson made a decision. “What I’m about to tell you is classified. It could end my career if the higher-ups found out.”

“I promise I won’t tell anyone,” Bucky swore.

Coulson nodded. “We were in the worst dogfight I’d ever seen. Bogeys were like fireflies all over the sky. Your dad’s Quinjet was hit. He was wounded, but he could have made it back. But he stayed in the fight, and saved three other pilots before he crashed.”

Bucky frowned. “How come my family never heard that?”

“Well, it’s not something that the State Department likes to tell dependents when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.”

“So you were there when it happened?”

“I was there.” Coulson gazed speculatively at Bucky. “What’s on your mind, kid?”

“My options, Sir.”

“It’s pretty simple, Barnes. Firstly, you’ve gained enough points to show up tomorrow and graduate with the rest of your class. Or you could quit, walk away from everything you’ve achieved here. It wouldn’t be a disgrace if you did; nobody would blame you if that was your decision. That spin was hell. It would have shaken me or Carol just as badly.”

Bucky’s expression grew puzzled. “So you’re sayin’ I should quit?”

“I never said that. But the simple fact of the matter is that you feel responsible for what happened to Rogers, and you have a confidence problem because of it. I’m not going to sit here and blow smoke up your ass just to make you feel better. A good pilot always needs to evaluate what’s happened, so he can learn from it and apply what he’s learned in the future. Up there we’ve got to push it; that’s our job. The choice is yours, Lieutenant. You’re the only one who can decide your future.”

Bucky held out his hand. “Thanks for your time, Sir. I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday.”

“No problem, Barnes.” Coulson shook his hand. “Good luck, whatever you decide.”

Bucky nodded, then hopped on his Harley, hoping the ride would help him make the decision about what to do. His heart told him one thing, his head something else.

He rode past your place, hoping to catch you before you left so that he could try to sort things out. He noted with dismay the “For Rent” sign out the front. The house was dark and empty.

Just like his heart.


	8. Still Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A crisis situation throws Bucky back into the pilot’s seat, but can he let go of the past long enough to survive the present?

The graduates sat patiently as one of the top Admirals droned on and on, waiting for the official confirmation of who had won the prestigious Avengers trophy. They all knew who the winner was, of course, but it was only polite to pretend that they didn’t.

Quicksilver looked around with a frown. “Where’s Barnes?”

Falcon shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Do you know what he’s planning to do?” persisted Quicksilver.

Another shrug. “No idea. It’s gotta be hard on him, though.”

The top brass finished speaking, and everyone clapped politely before gratefully grabbing glasses of champagne to celebrate the end of their training.

To nobody’s surprise, Black Widow held tightly to the trophy, and Hawkeye grinned widely. Both gave startled gasps when they realised who stood in front of them.

Bucky, having slipped in unnoticed, held out his hand. “Congratulations.”

Natasha shook it, her smile sincere. “Thank you.”

“Congratulations, Hawkeye.”

Clint clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

Turning to Coulson, he said apologetically, “Sorry I’m late, Sir.”

Coulson gave Bucky a nod. “Glad you could make it, Lieutenant.”

Carol came up and whispered in Coulson’s ear, and he raised his voice in order to be heard over the din. “Gentlemen! I hate to break up the party before the celebrations can really begin, but some of you need to depart immediately. We have a crisis situation.”  
  
All chatter ceased as everyone waited to hear what was happening. Carol called out names and handed out mission details. “Widow, Hawkeye! Falcon, Quicksilver! Thor and Loki! Winter Soldier!”

Bucky frowned, but stepped forward to receive his paper.

Coulson said, “Barnes, you’ll get your reel when you get to the helicarrier. And if you don’t, give me a call. I’ll fly with you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” he smiled.

**************************************

_24 hours later – somewhere in the Indian Ocean_

Fury glared at everyone from his one good eye. “Gentlemen! The communication ship _Asgard_ has become disabled and has drifted into foreign territory. A rescue operation is to commence within the hour. Your mission is to give air support to the rescue team. HYDRA is in the area, and tensions are running high. If you witness a hostile act, you will return fire immediately.”

Black Widow shared a glance with Hawkeye, who looked worried. She then gazed at Bucky, whose outwardly calm demeanour was betrayed by a drop of sweat which trickled down his forehead. She couldn’t blame him for feeling apprehensive, but she hoped desperately that he could keep it together.

Fury continued, “Those HYDRA jets carry anti-ship missiles, and they can fire them from a hundred miles away. Gentlemen, this is the real deal. This is what you’ve been trained for.”

Looking around the room, Fury barked out, “Widow, Falcon – you both take Sector Two. Winter Soldier, you back them up with War Machine on Ready Five.”

“Yes, Sir!” Bucky looked at Lieutenant Rhodes, who gave him an encouraging smile. War Machine knew what it was like to lose a partner, and how to get back in the saddle afterward. Bucky trusted him to get him through this.

“Dismissed!”

Bucky and the others headed out, and Natasha walked up to Fury. “Sir, with regards to Barnes. This isn’t personal in any way, but is he really the best person…”

Fury held up a hand. “I know what you’re going to say, Romanoff, but just stop right there. You have work to do, so get out there and do it.”

His tone of voice indicated that he was not going to discuss the matter further, and so Natasha kept her doubts to herself as she went to prep for the mission.

**************************************

Fury looked over Cameron Klein’s shoulder as the radar tech reported to Black Widow. “Voodoo One, you’ve got a pair of bogeys at twelve o’clock, fifteen miles.”

“Voodoo One, Voodoo One, zero-nine-zero. Radar contact fifteen miles, doing five hundred knots,” came Hawkeye’s voice over the comms.

“Roger, that’s your bogey,” Klein confirmed.

Hawkeye contacted Quicksilver. “Got ‘em dead ahead, fifteen miles, air speed six hundred knots.”

Bucky sat in the cockpit of his Quinjet, still on the deck of the helicarrier, listening to his team-mates flying above. Hopefully they wouldn’t need him up there, but he and War Machine were ready and waiting to lend a hand if things headed south.

“They’re at fifteen thousand feet, dead ahead,” Hawkeye reported. “Ten miles out. Air speed is still increasing.”

A few seconds later, “Eight hundred knots, dead ahead, now eight miles.”

Bucky began to sweat. He had a feeling they were going to need him, and he wasn’t sure he was ready. He clutched Steve’s dogtags in his fist, praying that his friend would guide him.

“Quicksilver, you got ‘em?” Falcon asked.

“Not yet,” replied the silver-haired co-pilot.

“They’ve gotta be close. I’m getting a hard-on.”

Black Widow’s voice was confident. “Okay, Falcon, I’m taking the lead. Let’s identify these guys.”

She pulled her Quinjet to the front, Falcon happy to fall behind her, flying slightly below her on the left.

“Bogey’s drifting to the left,” called Hawkeye. “Still manoeuvring at course zero-nine-zero.”

“Okay, Falcon, let’s bring it to the right so we can get a better angle on them,” suggested Natasha.

Clint stared at his radar in disbelief. His voice was slightly panicked. “Widow, we’ve got a problem here. Now bringing up four aircraft on radar. Not one pair, two pair. Repeat, _four_ bogeys!”

“Shit! Falcon, we’ve got four bogeys,” said Natasha with a grimace.

Sam let out a yell as one of the enemy jets appeared behind him. “Wrong! Make that five!”

Klein blinked at the radar. He gulped, before stammering, “There’s five, Sir.”

“There’s _five?_ ” Fury asked, his tone incredulous.

“Yes, Sir.”

Falcon panicked as he heard the missile lock engage. “Shit! He’s locked onto us!”

Quicksilver strained to look behind him. “He’s right on our tail!”

“Get out of there, Falcon! Get out of there now!” cried Widow.

Quicksilver saw the missile heading towards them. “Bank left!"

Before Falcon could react, the missile hit the Quinjet’s right engine. “We’re hit! We’re coming apart! I can’t control it! I’m going down!”

“What’s been hit?” asked Natasha, her normally cool voice betraying her panic.

“Shit! Falcon’s down!” Hawkeye told her, noting the two other pilots parachuting towards the ocean below. “We’ve lost Falcon. Repeat, we have lost Falcon.”

**************************************

Bucky heard the call. “Launch the Winter Soldier on Alert Five.”  
  
He saw the rescue helicopter heading out to sea, and hoped that Wilson and Maximoff would be found safe. His stomach churned as he saw the flight controller directing him to the runway.

_‘Help me, Stevie,’_ he prayed silently as he prepared for takeoff.

Pushing the throttle forward, he launched the Quinjet, heading towards Black Widow’s jet. “Winter Soldier is airborne.”

“Black Widow, what’s your position?” War Machine contacted the other jet.

“Zero-nine-zero at a hundred and eighty miles,” came the terse reply.

Hawkeye noticed the enemy jet gaining on them. “We got one coming on the left!”

“Three MiG’s dead ahead, coming down the left side!” reported Romanoff. “I’m going after them. Bringing it around to the left.”

She turned the Quinjet around, and Hawkeye glanced at the radar. “We’ve got four on our tail. That makes six of them! Lead MiG looks like it’s within gun range.”

His assertion was correct as a hail of bullets fired from the enemy fighter. “Break right!”

Widow banked hard to the right, narrowly avoiding the bullets as she barrel-rolled. “Mustang, this is Voodoo One! We are totally defensive! Launch the alert fighters!”

Fury glared at his radar tech. “Where are they?”

Klein winced. “A hundred and sixty miles and closing in fast, Sir.”

“Ready Thor and Loki ASAP. Get Starlord and Gamora on standby if necessary.”

“Copy that, Sir.”

Bucky sped towards his team-mates. “Winter Soldier is supersonic. I’ll be there in thirty seconds.”

“Get your ass up here, Barnes!” cried Black Widow. “I’m engaged with five, I repeat, five. I’m in deep shit!”

She continued to swerve as the HYDRA jets followed, swooping and diving as if toying with her.

Fury glared at his subordinates. “Where are we at with Thor and Loki?”

Bruce shrugged apologetically. “Both catapults are broken, Sir. We can’t launch any more fighters yet.”

“How long?”  
  
“It’ll take ten minutes…” Bruce began.

“Bullshit!” Fury snarled. “They don’t have ten minutes! This thing will be over in _two_ minutes. Get on it!”

“Yes, Sir!”

The alarm began blaring. Hawkeye looked up. “Four MiG’s twelve o’clock high! Watch your back, Nat!”

The missile lock engaged, and he saw the enemy fire. “Missile! Break right!”

Black Widow responded immediately, and breathed a sigh of relief as the missile shot past them. “Shit, that was close. Barnes, I need some help out here. Where the hell are you?”

Bucky saw the HYDRA jets swarming around Black Widow like a flock of vultures. “Jesus Christ.”

Before he could head down to engage, he heard the missile lock sounding. War Machine checked over his shoulder. “Barnes, we got one on our tail!”

Bucky glanced quickly over his shoulder, and his eyes widened when he turned back and noticed another fighter heading straight towards him. “Shit!”

The MiG pulled up at the last second, and Bucky flew straight past him. Alarms began blaring.

“Shit, we flew right through his jetwash!” cried Rhodes.

Bucky struggled to regain control of the Quinjet as it began to spin. He fought desperately, panic setting in as he saw a repeat of the accident which had cost Steve his life flashing before him.

Miraculously, he managed to get the Quinjet stabilised, letting out a breath that he hadn’t realised he was holding once he felt it settle.

“Good recovery, Soldier,” Rhodes said. “Okay, let’s get in there.”

Bucky’s breathing became erratic, as he continued to panic. He barely heard Rhodey calling to him, telling him to engage and cover Romanoff. He tried to calm his racing heart, the ringing in his ears drowning out practically everything else. He shook his head. “No, it’s no good.”

He veered to the right, away from the other jets.

“Goddammit, Barnes is disengaging!” yelled Hawkeye.

“I knew it!” hissed Black Widow.

“Goddammit, Barnes!” Fury threw his cigar to the ground in disgust.

“Soldier, come on, we can’t leave them!” urged War Machine. “Come on, get back in there, they need our help!”

Bucky closed his eyes, tuning out the panicked yells of everyone. He closed his fist around Steve’s dog tags. “Talk to me, Steve,” he whispered.

After an agonising few seconds, he turned his jet back towards the fight. He came in just behind the enemy that was far too close to Black Widow for his liking.

“The Winter Soldier is re-engaging, Sir!” whooped Klein. Fury just glared.

“I can’t get him off my tail!” cried Natasha.

“Widow, I’ve got your MiG dead ahead,” Bucky told her. He engaged the missile lock, trying not to grin as he got a tone. “Firing!”

The missile headed straight towards the MiG, exploding as it impacted on its wing. Bucky watched with grim satisfaction as the enemy jet fell toward the ocean below.

Rhodey checked the radar. “Two bogeys dead ahead. Closure eight hundred miles an hour.”

“I see ‘em,” Bucky confirmed. “I’m gonna take ‘em down the left side.”

“Widow is right below us, she’s got a MiG on her tail,” said Rhodey.

Hawkeye heard the tone. “He’s firing, break left!”

Again, Black Widow managed to avoid being hit. Bucky flew in behind her. “Widow, I’m coming in. We got two of ‘em dead ahead.”

“I’ve got them, Barnes,” confirmed Natasha as she spotted the bogeys. “One MiG passing between us.”

The MiG shot past them before wheeling around and heading back towards them. The alarm began beeping. Hawkeye turned to see what was happening. “MiG on our left, three o’clock! He’s gonna fire!”

Natasha breathed a sigh of relief when the missile raced past them. “Barnes, check the guys to the north!”

“Banking left,” he told her as he turned to engage the enemy. Sighting the smaller jet below him, he called out. “There he is, Widow! Get him!”

“Okay, you guys, I’m coming in,” she said. She dropped away and chased the HYDRA jet.

War Machine looked behind and noticed they were being followed. “Soldier, we got a MiG on our tail. We’ve got to get out of here!”

“I can’t leave Widow,” Bucky argued.

“He’s still coming around, he’s gonna get behind us, we gotta move!”

Bucky stubbornly refused to listen to his co-pilot. “I’m _not_ leaving my wingman.”

Natasha flicked the missile lock when she heard the signal. “I’m taking the shot.”  
  
She fired her missile, and both pilots were relieved when it struck true, disintegrating the enemy fighter in a ball of fire. “Bingo!”

Bucky called a halt to the celebrations. “Nat, you’ve got a MiG to your right!”

“He’s firing!” cried Barton as a hail of bullets struck the Quinjet.  
  
“I’m hit!” groaned Nat.

“We’re hit in the right engine,” Hawkeye told her, noting the smoke pouring out from the rear of the plane.

“I’m shutting it down,” she replied.

“I’m coming in, Widow,” Bucky said, swooping down on the HYDRA fighter still on her tail. “That bogey is still right behind you. I’m manoeuvring so I can take a shot.”

“Take the shot, Soldier! Nail him!” Natasha urged.

The enemy plane dodged and weaved, frustrating Bucky. “Shit! Widow, I can’t get a tone.”

“Just shoot him! I can’t get him off my tail!” A burst of fire from the MiG rained down on Widow’s Quinjet. “I’m hit again!”  
  
“We’re okay, engine is still functioning,” reported Clint.

Bucky had a sudden flash of inspiration. “Widow, on the count of three, break hard right. Three… two… one, break right!”

Black Widow complied, and Bucky immediately fired a missile at the MiG. The shot went wide, and he cursed. “Dammit! I missed.”

“Don’t let him go, Soldier, keep on him,” Rhodey said encouragingly.

Bucky fell in behind the HYDRA jet again, and felt a surge of satisfaction when he got a tone. He fired another missile, holding his breath as it headed towards its target. He nearly sagged with relief when it struck true, the smaller plane exploding as the missile hit dead centre.

Romanoff’s voice sounded over the comms. “Barnes, you’ve got a MiG on your tail!”

He tried to weave away from the other jet, but heard the tone of the missile lock engaging. “I’ve got a problem here. I’ve only got one missile left.”

“I got him, he’s right on us, between our tails,” Rhodey called, noting the enemy behind them.

Bucky barrel-rolled as the bullets flew towards him, swearing loudly as he narrowly avoided being hit. He eased back the throttle slightly.

Rhodey reported that the smaller plane was still right behind them. Checking the instrument panel, he grew confused. “What are you doing, Soldier? Why the hell are you slowing down?”

“I’m bringing him in closer, Rhodey,” came the calm answer, as if it should have been obvious.

“You’re gonna do _what?”_

“I’m gonna hit the brakes and he’s gonna fly right on by.”

Rhodes panicked as the tone sounded. “He’s got a lock on us!”

Just as the enemy jet fired, Bucky braked hard and flew straight up. The smaller jet flew straight onward, as anticipated, and he dropped back in directly behind it before the other pilot had time to react. He got a lock immediately, and fired his remaining missile. It hit the other jet, causing it to explode in spectacular fashion.

That was enough of a reason for the final two HYDRA jets to leave the area, not willing to sacrifice themselves for what was obviously a lost cause.

Rhodey contacted the helicarrier. “Mustang, this is Voodoo Three. Remaining MiG’s are bugging out.”

A raucous chorus of cheers could be heard over the comms.

Bucky grinned to himself as he and Black Widow headed back home.

**************************************

Bucky could barely move his Quinjet into position on the deck, it was so crowded with cheering S.H.I.E.L.D. crew surrounding him and Black Widow. The rescue helicopter landed only moments after, and Falcon and Quicksilver both jumped out and raced towards their team-mates, cheering just as wildly as the others.

Bucky descended from his jet, and was immediately caught in a bear hug from Falcon. The two of them screamed joyfully, ecstatic that they had all made it safely back to the helicarrier.

“You!” Bucky turned to find Romanoff pointing directly at him, a glare on her face. “You are still dangerous.”

He began to argue, but her grin stopped him. “You can be my wingman any time.”

“Bullshit,” he retorted. “You can be mine.”

The two of them laughed as they hugged one another, no hint of awkwardness or animosity in the gesture. It was sincere, genuine relief and appreciation of each other’s efforts to bring everyone back safely.

Maybe they would be able to become friends, after all.

**************************************

“Barnes!” Fury barked.

Bucky closed his eyes. Shit, what had he done now? Turning from his locker, he stared at his commanding officer impassively.

“How does it feel to be the number one trending topic on every social media platform in the world?” Before he could respond, Fury shook his hand vigorously. “Even though HYDRA denies the incident completely, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“They’ve given you your choice of duties, son. Anything, anywhere you want to go. You believe that shit?” Fury chomped on his cigar. “Where do you think you want to go?”

Bucky grinned. “I thought of being an instructor, Sir.”

“At the Triskellion?” Fury threw up his hands in disgust. “God help us all!”

The two of them laughed as Fury dragged Bucky to the mess hall to continue to bask in the accolades of the rest of the crew.

**************************************

_Two months later…_

Bucky sipped a beer as he scanned his Facebook page. The same old boring crap. Nothing new or exciting ever happened anymore. Not that he was complaining, but just for once, he’d like to be surprised by something. He smiled softly as he saw an updated photo of Jamie that Peggy had posted on her page; she contacted him at least once a week to make sure that he was taking care of himself.

Suddenly, he heard a song come over the sound system.

_You are my fire  
The one desire  
Believe when I say  
I want it that way_

He frowned. Looking around, he couldn’t see anyone that he recognised. The bartender must have had his iPod on shuffle. Why the hell he was listening to a 90s boyband was anyone’s guess. There was just no accounting for taste.

_But we are two worlds apart  
Can't reach to your heart  
When you say  
That I want it that way_

Nope, he definitely felt eyes on him. Bucky stood up, wandering to the far end of the bar, but still didn’t see anyone. He sighed. The universe was playing a cruel trick on him.

_Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a heartache  
Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a mistake  
Tell me why  
I never want to hear you say  
I want it that way_

He headed back to his seat, only to find someone sitting there. His heart hammered in his chest. Could it be…

“Hello, Bucky Barnes,” you smiled.

“Hey,” he grinned, walking towards you. He pulled you to your feet, looking at you questioningly.

“I heard the best of the best were going to be here, so I thought I’d drop by to see how things are going.”

Bucky grabbed your waist, pulling you closer. “This could be complicated, doll.”  
  
“It doesn’t have to be.”

He grinned again. “You know, on the first one I crashed and burned.”

“And on the second?” you whispered, caressing his face.

“Dunno, but it’s looking good so far.” His expression was hopeful, and his heart soared as you pressed your lips to his.

“I love you, Bucky,” you whispered.

“I love you, too, doll.”

Everything was going to all right.

Bucky Barnes was never going to crash and burn again.


End file.
